PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Carroll County, VA

Most of Carroll 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).

5.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.1%
on SNAP
29K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

5.1% of Carroll County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
511
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
15.3%
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, Carroll County fares better than most: just 5.1% 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 1,538 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 511 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 Carroll County compares nationally

Food access in Carroll County compares favorably nationally: its 5.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,808).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Carroll County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

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

Carroll 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 Carroll County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)30,042
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population1,538
Low-Access Share5.1%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population511

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Carroll County
IndicatorValue
Population29,157
Median Household Income$54,484
Poverty Rate15.3%near the national average
SNAP Households1,903
SNAP Participation Rate15.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.7%
SNAP participation in Carroll County 15.1%

About 15.1% of Carroll County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 5.1% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,903 households here.
  • 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Carroll County

below the national share

1 of Carroll County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 1,538 residents, roughly 5.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 511 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 Carroll County

Carroll County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (62% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • cavalier xpress, hillsville
  • cana country store inc, cana
  • circle k 108, hillsville
  • circle k 2723367, fancy gap
  • circle k 2723369, hillsville
  • cockerham food mart #7 107, hillsville
  • cockerham food mart 6 106, hillsville
  • cockerham fuel center 4 104, hillsville
  • cockerhams food mart #5 105, fancy gap
  • dugspur deli mart, dugspur
  • ez-stop 204, hillsville
  • flowers bakery outlet 456, galax
  • gladeville grocery, galax
  • hillmont mercantile, hillsville
  • hillsville delimart, hillsville
  • love's travel stop 399, lamsburg
  • maa vedai 2 llc, hillsville
  • nesters general store, laurel fork
  • new river side store and deli, galax
  • race in, hillsville
  • s&d express, cana
  • stones grocery, austinville
  • tilleys grocery, cana

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • bradys farm market, hillsville
  • cvs pharmacy 7308, hillsville
  • dollar general 11514, fancy gap
  • dollar general 17332, laurel fork
  • dollar general 19900, woodlawn
  • dollar general 19919, cana
  • dollar general 22850, austinville
  • dollar general 23614, hillsville
  • dollar general 2655, hillsville
  • dollar general 31111, cana

Farmers' Market · 1

  • town of hillsville farmers market, hillsville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • b & b produce, cana

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • hershbergers country market, woodlawn

Supermarket · 1

  • food lion 236, hillsville

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 Carroll County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Carroll 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 Carroll County has low food access? ▼
5.1% of residents in Carroll 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 Carroll County? ▼
15.1% of households in Carroll County receive SNAP, covering 1,903 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Carroll County? ▼
The poverty rate in Carroll County, VA is 15.3%, with a median household income of $54,484 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Carroll County a food desert? ▼
1 of Carroll County's 7 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 Carroll County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Carroll 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.