Signature · 4 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Caldwell County, TX
Caldwell County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 17.5% low-access.
- 17.5%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 11.4%
- on SNAP
- 49K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Caldwell County, TX
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 17.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -4.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Carson County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Caldwell County ranks #1,910 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #186 of 252 counties in TX (17.5% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,910
- national by low-access %
- #186
- in TX
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA).
Signature read: 4 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Caldwell County compares nationally
Caldwell County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.5% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,910).
Caldwell County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
Caldwell County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 4 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 4 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Caldwell County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Texas, not a full county-board reprint
- Throckmorton
Throckmorton 100%
100 % low-access
- Brooks 17.7
Brooks 17.7%
17.7 % low-access
- Carson 17.6
Carson 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Waller 17.6
Waller 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Caldwell 17.5
Caldwell 17.5%
17.5 % low-access
- Bastrop 17.3
Bastrop 17.3%
17.3 % low-access
- Rains 0
Rains 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 38,066 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,671 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,620 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 48,669 |
| Median Household Income | $69,758 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,893 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Caldwell County
Caldwell County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 42 authorized stores; Lockhart holds 50% of them. 4 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Martindale, Maxwell, Kyle, Mustang Ridge.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Lockhart | 21 | 4 |
| Luling | 8 | 1 |
| Dale | 6 | 2 |
| Martindale | 3 | none |
| Maxwell | 2 | none |
| Kyle | 1 | none |
| Mustang Ridge | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 25
- 7-eleven convenience store 40563a, lockhart
- circle k 2704034, luling
- dale corner, dale
- dale xpress, dale
- ez xpress #1, martindale
- ez xpress #2, martindale
- food store, lockhart
- lion mart 1, lockhart
- lion mart 2, lockhart
- lockhart grocery, lockhart
- loves travel stops & country store 264, luling
- magnolia mart, luling
- max mart, maxwell
- mcmahn country store, dale
- murphy usa 7523, lockhart
- mustang travel plaza, mustang ridge
- picnpac 18, lockhart
- picnpac 6, lockhart
- poco loco market 6, maxwell
- poco loco supermercado 18, lockhart
- shopper's stop, lockhart
- snax max 1, kyle
- snaxbasket #4, luling
- starfield market # 2, lockhart
- tex best travel center 530, luling
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- 1854 general store llc, dale
- dollar general 3852, luling
- dollar general 11376, martindale
- dollar general 22074, lockhart
- dollar tree 6258, lockhart
- family dollar 12370, lockhart
- family dollar store 6090, lockhart
- walgreens 11131, lockhart
Supermarket · 3
- heb 445, lockhart
- heb 464, luling
- poco loco supermercado 8, dale
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- hometown meat market, luling
- smittys market, lockhart
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- el rico supermarket, dale
- super moreliana 2, lockhart
Large Grocery Store · 1
- dale supermercado, lockhart
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 292, lockhart
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Texas
One of 253 counties in Texas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Caldwell County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Nationwide peers for Caldwell County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Caldwell County, both outside Texas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside TX (17.5% here).
- Virginia Beach city, VA · 17.5% low-access
- Berks County, PA · 17.5% low-access
- Lyon County, KS · 17.5% low-access
- Adams County, IN · 17.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside TX (11.4% here).
- Giles County, TN · 11.4% SNAP
- Oconee County, SC · 11.4% SNAP
- Louisa County, VA · 11.4% SNAP
- Middlesex County, VA · 11.4% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Texas among West South Central states
Texas ranks 3rd of 4 West South Central states by population-weighted low-access (25.0%). Caldwell County, at 17.5%, runs 7.5 pts below the Texas rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Caldwell County, TX are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 48055. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.