PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Caroline County, VA

Most of Caroline County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

5.3%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
13.4%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

5.3% of Caroline County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
433
food-desert residents
3.5%
households, no vehicle
11.2%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Caroline County fares better than most: just 5.3% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 7 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,512 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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

Food access in Caroline County compares favorably nationally: its 5.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 11% of them (rank #2,796).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Caroline County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 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).

Food access tier distribution for Caroline County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (85.7%) 1 tracts limited (14.3%) Adequate 86% Limited 14% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Caroline County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Caroline County vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Caroline County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,545
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population1,512
Low-Access Share5.3%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population433

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Caroline County
IndicatorValue
Population32,098
Median Household Income$87,407
Poverty Rate11.2%below the national average
SNAP Households1,605
SNAP Participation Rate13.4%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.0%
SNAP participation in Caroline County 13.4%

About 13.4% of Caroline County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 5.3% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,605 households here.
  • 3.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $87,407 with a 11.2% poverty rate.

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

below the national share

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.

An estimated 1,512 residents, roughly 5.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 433 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (85.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Caroline County

Caroline County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (63% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • 600 market, ruther glen
  • 7-eleven #36785b 36785b, ruther glen
  • carmel church pit stop 552, ruther glen
  • caroline super market, beaverdam
  • corbin market, woodford
  • guinney station, woodford
  • ladysmith food mart, ruther glen
  • ladysmith mart, ruther glen
  • ladysmith pit stop 553, ruther glen
  • love's travel stop 435, ruther glen
  • pilot travel center 749, ruther glen
  • pilot travel center 753, ruther glen
  • pilot travel center 876, ruther glen
  • port royal supermarket express, port royal
  • royal farms 253, port royal
  • ruther glen pit stop 551, ruther glen
  • sheetz 747, ruther glen
  • shop n fill mart 1, milford
  • sparta fast mart, sparta
  • wawa store 6601, ruther glen

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • cvs 10769, ruther glen
  • dollar general 13649, ruther glen
  • dollar general 19596, hanover
  • dollar general 483, bowling green
  • family dollar store 2023, bowling green
  • walgreens 18200, bowling green

Farmers' Market · 2

  • bowling green community farmer's market, bowling green
  • rt 639 farmers market, ruther glen

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 1087, bowling green
  • food lion 2525, ruther glen

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • the meat hook, beaverdam

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • boonedocks seafood, beaverdam

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Caroline County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Caroline County sits inside Virginia (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 Caroline County has low food access? ▼
5.3% of residents in Caroline County, VA 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 Caroline County? ▼
13.4% of households in Caroline County receive SNAP, covering 1,605 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Caroline County? ▼
The poverty rate in Caroline County, VA is 11.2%, with a median household income of $87,407 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Caroline County a food desert? ▼
0 of Caroline County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Caroline County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.5% of households in Caroline 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.