PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Camden County, GA

Camden County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

51.3%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
10.5%
on SNAP
57K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

51.3% of Camden County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
12.9%
below poverty line

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, 1-and-10-mile measure).

Camden County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 51.3% is well above the national share. 8 of the county's 10 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 25,918 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,995 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Camden County compares nationally

Camden County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 51.3% low-access share outpaces 94% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #188 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Camden County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Camden County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Camden County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (20.0%) 4 tracts limited (40.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (40.0%) Adequate 20% Limited 40% Severe 40% Food-access tier distribution: Camden County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Camden County vs. other Georgia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Camden County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)50,513
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population25,918
Low-Access Share51.3%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,995

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Camden County
IndicatorValue
Population56,970
Median Household Income$74,378
Poverty Rate12.9%near the national average
SNAP Households2,278
SNAP Participation Rate10.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.8%
SNAP participation in Camden County 10.5%

About 10.5% of Camden County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 51.3% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,278 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Camden County

well above the national share

4 of Camden County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 25,918 residents, roughly 51.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,995 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (20.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Camden County

Camden County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 33

  • cfa of jax, saint marys
  • circle k 45100, woodbine
  • chevron food mart, kingsland
  • circle k 2745100, woodbine
  • cumberland kingsbay lodge, saint marys
  • flash foods llc 274100, kingsland
  • flash foods llc 274103, saint marys
  • flash foods llc 2745029, kingsland
  • flash foods llc 2745061, kingsland
  • flash foods, inc. 2745094, kingsland
  • friendly express 78, waverly
  • friendly express 86, kingsland
  • hop-in 254, woodbine
  • kingsbay food inc 1, st. marys
  • kingsbay food mart 2, saint marys
  • kingsland chevron, kingsland
  • laurel food mart, kingsland
  • murphy usa 7849, saint marys
  • nouria 1531 e king ave 1321, kingsland
  • parker's 120, kingsland
  • petro kingsland 344, kingsland
  • pilot travel center 4562, kingsland
  • pilot travel center 575, saint marys
  • racetrac petroleum, inc. 2534, kingsland
  • sp food mart 3, kingsland
  • shell food mart, kingsland
  • shree devashish llc, kingsland
  • snappy food, kingsland
  • snappy foods, woodbine
  • south link 02, kingsland
  • st. marys foods 1 1, saint marys
  • st. marys foods 2 1, saint marys
  • tobacco express, saint marys

Combination Grocery/Other · 21

  • cvs pharmacy 4206, saint marys
  • cvs pharmacy 5737, kingsland
  • dollar general 3410, kingsland
  • dollar general 7937, saint marys
  • dollar general 12965, woodbine
  • dollar general 14822, kingsland
  • dollar general 21013, st. marys
  • dollar general 22102, woodbine
  • dollar general 22284, saint marys
  • dollar general 23404, saint marys
  • dollar general 23659, kingsland
  • dollar general 24020, kingsland
  • dollar general 24825, saint marys
  • dollar general 30286, kingsland
  • dollar general 4173, saint marys
  • dollar general store 17570, waverly
  • dollar tree 4520, saint marys
  • dollar tree 582, kingsland
  • family dollar store 3897, kingsland
  • kingsland meats, saint marys
  • walgreens 10856, kingsland

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 76171, saint marys
  • aldi 76186, kingsland
  • publix 455, kingsland
  • publix super markets, inc. 1865, kingsland

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • iga woodbine, woodbine
  • kingsland grocery, kingsland

Military Commissary · 1

  • kings bay nsb commissary 430, kings bay

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • m&a's seafood market inc., kingsland

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • reed's grocery, white oak

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 836, saint marys

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Georgia

Appling County
47.8% low-access · 19.6% SNAP
Atkinson County
23.5% low-access · 26.2% SNAP
Bacon County
3.3% low-access · 20.9% SNAP
Baker County
61.3% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
24.6% low-access · 16.2% SNAP
Banks County
1.8% low-access · 9.0% SNAP

Compare Camden County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Camden County sits inside Georgia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Camden County has low food access? ▼
51.3% of residents in Camden County, GA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Camden County? ▼
10.5% of households in Camden County receive SNAP, covering 2,278 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Camden County? ▼
The poverty rate in Camden County, GA is 12.9%, with a median household income of $74,378 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Camden County a food desert? ▼
4 of Camden County's 10 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Camden County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Camden County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

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.