Signature · 174 SNAP-authorized stores
Catawba County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Catawba County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 28.2%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 164K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Catawba County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 28.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.1 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 6 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 19% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Brunswick County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Catawba County ranks #1,064 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #19 of 100 counties in NC (28.2% low-access; 6 food-desert tracts).
- #1,064
- national by low-access %
- #19
- in NC
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 174 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Catawba County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Catawba County's 28.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,073 most-affected nationwide.
Catawba County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
31 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 6 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Catawba County has 20 urban and 11 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.
Catawba County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Buncombe
Buncombe 29.4%
29.4 % low-access
- Cumberland
Cumberland 29.2%
29.2 % low-access
- New Hanover
New Hanover 28.7%
28.7 % low-access
- Catawba
Catawba 28.2%
28.2 % low-access
- Brunswick
Brunswick 28%
28 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 31 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 154,358 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 43,603 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 15,108 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 163,573 |
| Median Household Income | $67,864 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,896 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Catawba County
Catawba County has 174 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 82 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 82
- 7-eeven #36071b 36071b, claremont
- 7-eleven 36071k, claremont
- advent grocery, hickory
- better bargains, conover
- c & s mart, hickory
- catawba food store, catawba
- cat square superette, vale
- circle h 7, newton
- circle k 2723021, conover
- circle k 2723024, newton
- circle k 2723025, conover
- circle k 2723954, hickory
- circle k 2723958, hickory
- circle k 2723963, conover
- citgo food mart, conover
- conover mart, conover
- corner food mart 1, hickory
- corner store, hickory
- country market 1, maiden
- cubbard express 1, hickory
- cubbard express 10, claremont
- cubbard express 15, hickory
- cubbard express 16, hickory
- cubbard express 2, hickory
- cubbard express 5, hickory
- cubbard express 7, hickory
- cubbard express 8, hickory
- deep fuel, conover
- ez way food store, newton
- fast & fresh, hickory
- fast phils 140, newton
- fast phils 145, newton
- flowers bakery outlet 483, hickory
- gold mine general store & grille, catawba
- home run market 7, conover
- honey pik foods, hickory
- hop in, maiden
- hop in, newton
- jack b quick 7, hickory
- ks mart, hickory
- ks mart 2, newton
- lake hickory market 6, hickory
- love's travel stop 697, newton
- market basket 09, hickory
- market basket 11, newton
- market basket 18, conover
- market basket 22, hickory
- market basket 27, claremont
- mountain view market, hickory
- murphy usa 7498, conover
- murphy usa 7510, hickory
- murphy usa 7995, hickory
- newton food mart 2 llc, newton
- propst superette, hickory
- propst superette 1, hickory
- propst superette 10, conover
- propst superette 11, hickory
- pilot travel center 7971, conover
- pit stop, hickory
- propst superette, newton
- propst superette 2 2, conover
- prospt superette #3 llc yes, newton
- quality mart 5 1724, hickory
- raceway (phiona) 6739, hickory
- raceway 6744, hickory
- ronald superette, hickory
- shop & save, hickory
- save more, hickory
- sheetz 593, conover
- sheetz 597, hickory
- sheetz 602, hickory
- shell food mart, conover
- shivmart, hickory
- shree hari express llc, hickory
- speedway 7966, hickory
- speedway 7967, hickory
- speedway 7969, hickory
- speedy mart 1, conover
- total convenience market, hickory
- vale mart and hardware, vale
- vale mini mart, vale
- whistle stop, conover
Combination Grocery/Other · 50
- big lots 3189, hickory
- cvs pharmacy 2521, hickory
- cvs pharmacy 2676, hickory
- cvs pharmacy 3563, hickory
- cvs pharmacy 3808, hickory
- cvs pharmacy 7323, newton
- cvs/pharmacy 6408, conover
- dollar general 0311, maiden
- dollar general 1803, maiden
- dollar general 18199, hickory
- dollar general 2556, hickory
- dollar general 2876, hickory
- dollar general 3181, hickory
- dollar general 3462, conover
- dollar general 6684, conover
- dollar general 8222, hickory
- dollar general 9219, hickory
- dollar general 9239, conover
- dollar tree 0069, hickory
- dollartree 8784, newton
- dollartree 9676, claremont
- dollar general 12972, catawba
- dollar general 13259, hickory
- dollar general 13465, hickory
- dollar general 17618, claremont
- dollar general 21482, hickory
- dollar general 21582, conover
- dollar general 21867, newton
- dollar general 22533, hickory
- dollar general 22575, catawba
- dollar general 24120, maiden
- dollar general 24198, claremont
- dollar general 2675, newton
- dollar general 2778, hickory
- dollar general 30156, hickory
- dollar general 6099, newton
- dollar general 9218, claremont
- dollar tree 4802, conover
- dollar tree 5832, hickory
- dollar tree 7168, newton
- family dollar 122, hickory
- family dollar 13897, claremont
- family dollar store 7858, maiden
- k oriental market, hickory
- shaggy's good buys, hickory
- walgreens 7646, hickory
- walgreens 10154, maiden
- walgreens 11629, hickory
- walgreens 12484, hickory
- walgreens 15568, conover
Supermarket · 16
- aldi 66080, hickory
- carniceria mexicana hermanos chavez, newton
- food lion 2572, newton
- food lion 461, conover
- food lion 504, hickory
- food lion 563, hickory
- food lion 571, newton
- food lion 638, hickory
- food lion 803, maiden
- food lion 97, hickory
- lowes foods 216, hickory
- lowe's food store 245, hickory
- lowes foods 254, hickory
- market fresh iga, hickory
- publix 1550, hickory
- publix north carolina lp 1583, sherrills ford
Super Store · 9
- buffalo shoals supermarket & hard, newton
- honey's supermarket inc, vale
- sam's club 6355, hickory
- target store t-1181, hickory
- walmart neighborhood market 3504, hickory
- walmart neighborhood market 4432, newton
- walmart neighborhood market 7315, hickory
- walmart store 948, hickory
- walmart supercenter 4224, conover
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- asian market, newton
- b&b variety and discount grocery, incorporated, maiden
- fresh market produce, denver
- hilltop express, hickory
- the general store of denver, sherrills ford
- tm oriental market, hickory
Farmers' Market · 3
- catawba county public health farmers market, hickory
- conover farmers market nafmnp, conover
- hickory farmers market association inc, hickory
Large Grocery Store · 3
- banana box grocery, newton
- carniceria el caporal, conover
- carniceria hernandez, hickory
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- catawba meat processing, catawba
- price's custom meat cutting, hickory
Small Grocery Store · 2
- hmong market, conover
- tienda mexicana la morenita, hickory
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- fresh market produce hickory, hickory
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 Catawba County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Catawba County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Catawba County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (28.2% here).
- Taos County, NM · 28.2% low-access
- Taos County, NM · 28.2% low-access
- Chaves County, NM · 28.2% low-access
- Chaves County, NM · 28.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (11.9% here).
- Rockland County, NY · 11.9% SNAP
- Rockland County, NY · 11.9% SNAP
- Licking County, OH · 11.9% SNAP
- Licking County, OH · 11.9% 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.
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Catawba 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 Catawba County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37035. 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.