County food-access profile · Maryland
Caroline County, MD
Caroline 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.
- 9.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 17.6%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.2% of Caroline County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.2%
- 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).
Caroline County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.2% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,039 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,329 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 Caroline County compares nationally
Caroline County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.2% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,552).
Caroline County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Caroline County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Caroline County vs. other Maryland counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maryland
- Caroline 9.2
Caroline County, MD
9.2 % low-access
- Allegany
Allegany County, MD
30.4 % low-access
- Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel County, MD
33.7 % low-access
- Baltimore city 4.5
Baltimore city, MD
4.5 % low-access
- Baltimore
Baltimore County, MD
21.8 % low-access
- Calvert
Calvert County, MD
38.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 33,066 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,039 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,329 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 33,669 |
| Median Household Income | $68,457 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,202 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 17.6% of Caroline County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,202 households here.
- 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Caroline County
near the national share
2 of Caroline County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,039 residents, roughly 9.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,329 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Caroline County
Caroline County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 16
- 7-eleven 36092j, denton
- denton goose creek 15, denton
- ein inc, federalsburg
- fosters mini mart, ridgely
- greensboro tiger mart, greensboro
- mike's corner, preston
- preston super soda, preston
- ridgely exxon, ridgely
- royal farms 04, denton
- royal farms 135, denton
- royal farms 355, federalsburg
- shore stop 240, preston
- star gas and diesel, greensboro
- state line gas, marydel
- u5 foods, preston
- walkers grocery store, marydel
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 370, federalsburg
- dollar general 14465, ridgely
- dollar general 21493, greensboro
- dollar general 25625, federalsburg
- dollar general 8002, denton
- dollar tree 5583, denton
- family dollar 8188, greensboro
- walgreens 19451, denton
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 71194, denton
- food lion 1297, federalsburg
- food lion 698, denton
- greensboro save a lot 24512, greensboro
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- ebenezer, federalsburg
Small Grocery Store · 1
- tri me llc, ridgely
Super Store · 1
- walmart 3843, denton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Maryland
Compare Caroline County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →
Food access nationally, Maryland in context
Caroline County sits inside Maryland (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 Caroline County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Caroline County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Caroline County? ▼
Is Caroline County a food desert? ▼
What share of Caroline 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.