County food-access profile · Tennessee
Campbell County, TN
Campbell County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 13.8%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 18.5%
- on SNAP
- 40K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.8% of Campbell County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.5%
- 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).
Campbell County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.8% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,622 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,578 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 Campbell County compares nationally
Campbell County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.8% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,218).
Campbell County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Campbell County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Campbell County vs. other Tennessee counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee
- Campbell
Campbell County, TN
13.8 % low-access
- Anderson 10.9
Anderson County, TN
10.9 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, TN
23 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, TN
12.6 % low-access
- Bledsoe 4.7
Bledsoe County, TN
4.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount County, TN
30.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 40,716 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,622 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.8%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,578 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 39,761 |
| Median Household Income | $51,557 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,181 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.5%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 18.5% of Campbell County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,181 households here.
- 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Campbell County
near the national share
3 of Campbell County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 5,622 residents, roughly 13.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,578 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (63.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Campbell County
Campbell County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 25
- big creek market, la follette
- big o's git n go inc, la follette
- corner market, la follette
- grumpy grampys enterprises inc, jellico
- jacksboro tobacco & food mart, jacksboro
- jimmys market 18, jellico
- judys grocery, lafollette
- lafollette shell, la follette
- main street shell, la follette
- murphy express 8516, la follette
- p l market, la follette
- pilot travel center 1577, pioneer
- quick shop, la follette
- quick stop, caryville
- quick stop market, la follette
- red roof market, la follette
- rocky top markets 919, caryville
- rocky top markets 928, jellico
- rocky top markets 935, jellico
- smokies market, duff
- ta caryville 255, pioneer
- tri-eagle inc, jacksboro
- weigel's 83, la follette
- west end bp, la follette
- zoyal market n/a, la follette
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 7794, la follette
- dollar general 14511, caryville
- dollar general 2306, jacksboro
- dollar general 4376, la follette
- dollar general 4508, jellico
- dollartree 9802, la follette
- dollar general 12441, la follette
- dollar tree 1277, jacksboro
- family dollar store 3319, jellico
- family dollar store 491, la follette
- walgreens 06738, la follette
Supermarket · 3
- food lion 1055, lafollette
- food city 661, la follette
- houchens save-a-lot 81, la follette
Large Grocery Store · 2
- hollingsworth meat market, la follette
- united grocery outlet 14, lafollette
Super Store · 1
- walmart 1466, jacksboro
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Compare Campbell County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
Campbell County sits inside Tennessee (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Campbell County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Campbell County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Campbell County? ▼
Is Campbell County a food desert? ▼
What share of Campbell County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.