County food-access profile · Florida
Charlotte County, FL
Charlotte County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 49.2%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 7.3%
- on SNAP
- 201K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
49.2% of Charlotte County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 29
- low-access tracts
- 22K
- food-desert residents
- 4.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.0%
- 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).
Charlotte County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 49.2% is well above the national share. 29 of the county's 38 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 78,722 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 22,084 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 Charlotte County compares nationally
Charlotte County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 49.2% low-access share outpaces 93% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #213 most-affected nationwide.
Charlotte County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 38 census tracts in Charlotte County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Charlotte County vs. other Florida counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Florida
- Charlotte
Charlotte County, FL
49.2 % low-access
- Alachua 19.2
Alachua County, FL
19.2 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, FL
55.6 % low-access
- Bay
Bay County, FL
31.5 % low-access
- Bradford 1.1
Bradford County, FL
1.1 % low-access
- Brevard
Brevard County, FL
41.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 38 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 159,978 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 29 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 78,722 |
| Low-Access Share | 49.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 22,084 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 201,064 |
| Median Household Income | $69,952 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,585 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
About 7.3% of Charlotte County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 49.2% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,585 households here.
- 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Charlotte County
well above the national share
5 of Charlotte County's 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.2% of all its tracts.
A further 24 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 29.
An estimated 78,722 residents, roughly 49.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 22,084 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (23.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Charlotte County
Charlotte County has 116 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 53 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 53
- 7-eleven 35032j, punta gorda
- 7-eleven store 32200a, punta gorda
- 7-eleven 37538a, port charlotte
- 7-eleven 37937a, punta gorda
- 7-eleven 38757a, punta gorda
- 7-eleven 41109a, port charlotte
- burnt store gas & food, punta gorda
- circle k 2704740, port charlotte
- circle k 2707227, punta gorda
- circle k 2707409, punta gorda
- circle k 2707413, pt charlotte
- circle k 2707427, port charlotte
- circle k 2707431, punta gorda
- circle k 2707439, englewood
- circle k 2707459, port charlotte
- circle k 2707682, punta gorda
- circle k 2708539, punta gorda
- circle k 2709768, port charlotte
- circle k 2709770, port charlotte
- circle k 2709771, punta gorda
- circle k 2709707, port charlotte
- crazy papa's, englewood
- englewood food store, englewood
- englewood market, englewood
- englewood sunoco, englewood
- filipino foods, port charlotte
- flowers bakery outlet 13, port charlotte
- harbor heights food mart, punta gorda
- kangaroo express, punta gorda
- lucky marathon, punta gorda
- mobil atwater, port charlotte
- murphy express 8598, port charlotte
- murphy usa 7360, port charlotte
- murphy usa 7456, punta gorda
- murphy usa 7704, englewood
- peachland, port charlotte
- pgi mart, punta gorda
- pilot travel center 94, punta gorda
- race trac 111, punta gorda
- race trac 2442, englewood
- race trac 95, port charlotte
- racetrac 2640, punta gorda
- rainbow food mart, port charlotte
- ray's amoco, port charlotte
- sky marathon, port charlotte
- sunshine food mart 365, punta gorda
- tamiami chevron, punta gorda
- the corner store, punta gorda
- tom's discount convenience store, punta gorda
- usa grocery, punta gorda
- wawa store 5343, punta gorda
- wawa 5255, port charlotte
- wawa store 5345, port charlotte
Combination Grocery/Other · 26
- cvs pharmacy 3122, port charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 5410, port city
- cvs pharmacy 406, punta gorda
- cvs pharmacy 4726, port charlotte
- dollar general 10789, punta gorda
- dollar general 14295, englewood
- dollar general 18809, port charlotte
- dollar tree 2071, pt charlotte
- dollar tree 2532, punta gorda
- dollartree 2865, englewood
- dollar general 14565, punta gorda
- dollar general 20629, englewood
- dollar general 24901, punta gorda
- dollar general 25953, punta gorda
- dollar general store 16651, punta gorda
- dollar general store 16765, rotonda west
- dollar tree 6630, port charlotte
- dollar tree 7858, punta gorda
- dollar tree 986, punta gorda
- family dollar store 11308, punta gorda
- walgreen 12698, port charlotte
- walgreens 4799, punta gorda
- walgreens 5016, punta gorda
- walgreens 5017, punta gorda
- walgreens 7496, englewood
- walgreens 7875, port charlotte
Supermarket · 20
- aldi 74077 74077, port charlotte
- aldi 74220, englewood
- aldi 74237, punta gorda
- aldi 77226, port charlotte
- aldi 77243, englewood
- aldi 77004, punta gorda
- city fresh meat & produce llc, port charlotte
- earth origins market 17, port charlotte
- milan supermarket, port charlotte
- publix 0266, punta gorda
- publix 0400, englewood
- publix 0697, placida
- publix 0755, pt charlotte
- publix 0778, port charlotte
- publix 1013, port charlotte
- publix 1438, port charlotte
- publix 1557, punta gorda
- publix 1763, babcock ranch
- sprouts farmers market 658, port charlotte
- winn dixie 0741, punta gorda
Super Store · 8
- bj's wholesale club 223, port charlotte
- sam's club 6445, port charlotte
- target store 690, port charlotte
- walmart 721, port charlotte
- walmart neighborhood market 6937, port charlotte
- walmart supercenter 3349, port charlotte
- walmart supercenter 1874, englewood
- walmart supercenter 778, punta gorda
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- florida meat & produce, port charlotte
- latino's food supermarket, port charlotte
- polet's grocery store 2 llc, port charlotte
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- bbs foods, port charlotte
- kallis german butcher shop, port charlotte
Seafood Specialty · 2
- law's seafood, punta gorda
- mcalister crab inc, punta gorda
Farmers' Market · 1
- punta gorda farmers market, punta gorda
Large Grocery Store · 1
- milan supermarket inc, port charlotte
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Florida
Compare Charlotte County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Food access nationally, Florida in context
Charlotte County sits inside Florida (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 Charlotte County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Charlotte County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Charlotte County? ▼
Is Charlotte County a food desert? ▼
What share of Charlotte 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.