Signature · 9.0% SNAP (12th pct in NC)
Carteret County, NC
Carteret County sits in the upper national band on low-access (33.2%, +11.1 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 33.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 9.0%
- on SNAP
- 69K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Carteret County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 33.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +11.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 6% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Gaston County (+ 0.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Carteret County sits in the upper national band (33.2%, #721 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #721
- national by low-access %
- #10
- in NC
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 9.0% SNAP (12th pct in NC) (-3.1 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Carteret County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Carteret County's 33.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #728 most-affected nationwide.
Carteret County's elevated USDA tier split
36 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Carteret County has 22 urban and 14 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Carteret County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Craven
Craven 34.4%
34.4 % low-access
- Carteret
Carteret 33.2%
33.2 % low-access
- Gaston
Gaston 33.2%
33.2 % low-access
- Durham
Durham 33%
33 % low-access
- Cabarrus
Cabarrus 31.7%
31.7 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 36 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 66,469 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 22,058 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,120 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 69,148 |
| Median Household Income | $72,322 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,886 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
Thick SNAP store book in Carteret County
Carteret County has 70 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 28 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 28
- big lots 3226, morehead city
- cvs pharmacy 4390, morehead city
- cvs pharmacy 7024, emerald isle
- cvs pharmacy 7381, beaufort
- cvs/pharmacy 11348, newport
- dollar general 10234, beaufort
- dollar general 14250, emerald isle
- dollar general 4849, beaufort
- dollar general 9668, newport
- dollar tree 2170, morehead city
- dollartree 8086, morehead city
- dollaartree 7086, beaufort
- dollar general 10173, newport
- dollar general 11802, newport
- dollar general 12917, morehead city
- dollar general 17723, newport
- dollar general 19664, salter path
- dollar general 20043, beaufort
- dollar general 20070, harkers island
- dollar general 20139, newport
- dollar general 30292, swansboro
- dollar general 30901, beaufort
- dollar general store 16857, atlantic beach
- dollar general store 17043, sea level
- roses 1850, beaufort
- walgreen 10434, morehead city
- walgreens 10431, cape carteret
- walgreens 11895, morehead city
Convenience Store · 23
- circle k 2720918, atlantic beach
- circle k 2723157, cape carteret
- circle k 2723473, morehead city
- cross road mini mart, beaufort
- gil's market, newport
- handy house 10 110, davis
- handy house 2 102, smyrna
- handy mart 4705, morehead city
- handy mart 4728, newport
- handy mart 4730, cape carteret
- handy mart 4732, morehead city
- handy mart 4763, newport
- jim dandy #12 212, newport
- jim dandy convenience store 201, morehead city
- jim dandy food store no. 8 208, morehead city
- korner store, marshallberg
- murphy usa 6768, morehead city
- seaside stop n shop, harkers island
- speedway 7908, morehead city
- speedway 7946, newport
- speedway 7953, emerald isle
- speedway 8268, newport
- speedway 8271, beaufort
Supermarket · 9
- food lion 1251, beaufort
- food lion 2601, morehead city
- food lion 2628, atlantic beach
- food lion 491, emerald isle
- food lion 1396, newport
- lowes food store 214, morehead city
- piggly wiggly 48, beaufort
- publix 1623, emerald isle
- town & country iga, newport
Super Store · 4
- harris teeter 265, morehead city
- lidl 1089, morehead city
- walmart neighborhood market 7098, newport
- walmart supercenter 1355, morehead city
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- parker enterprises of carteret county, harkers island
- salty catch seafood company, llc, beaufort
- the market at cedar point, cedar point
Seafood Specialty · 3
- blue ocean market, morehead city
- cap'n willis seafood market inc., emerald isle
- rose seafood, beaufort
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Carteret County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Carteret County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Carteret County (9.0%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside North Carolina.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (33.2% here).
- Nueces County, TX · 33.2% low-access
- Nueces County, TX · 33.2% low-access
- Christian County, KY · 33.2% low-access
- Christian County, KY · 33.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (9.0% here).
- Hancock County, OH · 9.0% SNAP
- Hancock County, OH · 9.0% SNAP
- Butler County, PA · 9.0% SNAP
- Butler County, PA · 9.0% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Carteret County inside a higher low-access state context
Carteret County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Carteret County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37031. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.