County food-access profile · North Carolina
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)
The food-access picture
28.2% of Catawba County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
- 5.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.7%
- 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).
USDA data puts Catawba County's low-access share at 28.2%, above the national share. 19 of the county's 31 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 43,603 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 15,108 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 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
All 31 census tracts in Catawba County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Catawba County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Catawba
Catawba County, NC
28.2 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 11.9% of Catawba County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,896 households here.
- 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Catawba County
above the national share
6 of Catawba County's 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.4% of all its tracts.
A further 13 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.
An estimated 43,603 residents, roughly 28.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 15,108 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (38.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Catawba County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Catawba County sits inside North Carolina (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 Catawba County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Catawba County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Catawba County? ▼
Is Catawba County a food desert? ▼
What share of Catawba 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.