County food-access profile · Georgia
Chatham County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Chatham 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).
- 31.7%
- low-access pop.
- 14
- food-desert tracts
- 11.8%
- on SNAP
- 301K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
31.7% of Chatham County residents live in a low-access area, and 14 of its 71 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 35
- low-access tracts
- 29K
- food-desert residents
- 7.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.3%
- 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).
USDA data puts Chatham County's low-access share at 31.7%, above the national share. 35 of the county's 71 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 83,969 people. 14 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 28,651 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 Chatham County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Chatham County's 31.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #833 most-affected nationwide.
Chatham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 71 census tracts in Chatham County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Chatham County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Chatham
Chatham County, GA
31.7 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 71 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 265,128 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 35 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 14 |
| Low-Access Population | 83,969 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 28,651 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 300,879 |
| Median Household Income | $71,097 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 14,265 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.0% |
About 11.8% of Chatham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 31.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 14,265 households here.
- 7.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 14 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 Chatham County
above the national share
14 of Chatham County's 71 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.7% of all its tracts.
A further 21 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 35.
An estimated 83,969 residents, roughly 31.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 28,651 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 36 tracts (50.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Chatham County
Chatham County has 314 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 178 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 178
- 3g, savannah
- 7-11 minit store, savannah
- abercorn bp, savannah
- abercorn chevron, savannah
- abercorn market, savannah
- adi shakti trading 01 inc, savannah
- aditi 9, savannah
- akshar foodmart, savannah
- alive beauty & mini market, savannah
- amit food mart 2, pooler
- avom foodmart, savannah
- bp port wentworth, port wentworth
- bay store, savannah
- bay street market, savannah
- bmd convenient store, savannah
- bp 4801, garden city
- circle k stores inc. 2707265, savannah
- chevron, savannah
- chevron pump n go, bloomingdale
- chiles verdes tienda mexicana, savannah
- chu's 101, tybee island
- chu's 102, tybee island
- chu's convenience mart 106, garden city
- chu's convenience mart 119, savannah
- chu's convenience mart 121, tybee island
- chu's mart 114, savannah
- circle k 1862, savannah
- circle k 1869, savannah
- circle k 5159, savannah
- circle k 5160, savannah
- circle k 5346, savannah
- circle k 5352, port wentworth
- circle k 7716, savannah
- circle k stores inc 1412, savannah
- ddp food mart llc, savannah
- dhrumil food mart, savannah
- diamond foodmart, savannah
- discount corner 2, savannah
- downtown chevron, savannah
- e. ranchero meat market, savannah
- eagle market, savannah
- eagle market #1, savannah
- flash food llc 2745163, pooler
- flowers bakery outlet 50000810, pooler
- fuels n pantry, savannah
- gx gas express market, savannah
- gate service station 209, pooler
- gateway sunoco, savannah
- georgetown market, savannah
- giant food mart, savannah
- hanumanta food mart inc, savannah
- highland shell, port wentworth
- j j food mart, savannah
- jai dwarkadish llc, savannah
- jasmine foodmart, savannah
- joyner's corner inc, bloomingdale
- katyan 1, savannah
- katyani, bloomingdale
- kwik way food, savannah
- la guanajuato llc, pooler
- liberty city convenience, savannah
- love's travel stop 893, savannah
- lucky's, savannah
- marathon 204, savannah
- marathon pooler, pooler
- maruti montgomery, savannah
- mi tierra supermarket, savannah
- mike's time saver, savannah
- moonlight bp station llc, pooler
- mosaic market, pooler
- murphy express 8567, port wentworth
- murphy express 8603, pooler
- murphy express 8829, savannah
- murphy usa 6515, pooler
- murphy usa 7798, savannah
- nick 24 inc, savannah
- nouria 10 eisenhower drive 25, savannah
- nouria 1264 highway 80 east 828, tybee island
- nouria 1316 east derenne avenue 185, savannah
- nouria 14000 abercorn expressway 10, savannah
- nouria 1601 pooler parkway 853, pooler
- nouria 175 johnny mercer boulevard 660, savannah
- nouria 210 johnny mercer boulevard 846, savannah
- nouria 3024 east victory drive 475, savannah
- nouria 3219 skidaway road 491, savannah
- nouria 405 mlk jr. boulevard 335, savannah
- nouria 4202 montgomery street 360, savannah
- nouria 4230 augusta road 260, savannah
- nouria 4318 ogeechee road 255, savannah
- nouria 7002 ga highway 21 820, port wentworth
- nouria 7406 waters avenue 600, savannah
- nouria 830 us highway 80 w 852, pooler
- nouria 907 east highway 80 830, pooler
- nouria 9801 ferguson avenue 1353, savannah
- ogeechee chevron, savannah
- om foodmart, savannah
- one stop shop, savannah
- one stop shop #2, savannah
- original lottery hall, savannah
- pals mini mart, savannah
- parker's 100, savannah
- parker's 119, bloomingdale
- parker's 123, bloomingdale
- parker's 128, port wentworth
- parker's 13, savannah
- parker's 64, savannah
- parker's 68, pooler
- parker's 69, pooler
- parker's 78, savannah
- parker's 82, savannah
- parker's 88, savannah
- parkers 16, pt. wentworth
- parkers 19, savannah
- parkers 21, savannah
- parkers 22, savannah
- parkers 25, savannah
- parkers 27, savannah
- parkers 29, savannah
- parkers 35, savannah
- parkers 37, pooler
- parkers 39, savannah
- parkers 62, savannah
- parth 24 llc, port wentworth
- pilot travel center 71, port wentworth
- pilot travel center 72, savannah
- po jo's stop n go, savannah
- port fuel center, port wentworth
- pritam bp, savannah
- pump n go, port wentworth
- pump n go, savannah
- pump n go, savannah
- pump n go montgomery crossroads, savannah
- pump n go quacco, pooler
- pumpngo, savannah
- quacco food mart, savannah
- quick stop 109, savannah
- quickmart, savannah
- quiktrip 7132, bloomingdale
- racetrac 2630, savannah
- ram food mart, savannah
- s & m food mart, savannah
- shady's food store, savannah
- savannah convenience, inc., savannah
- savannah mall shell, savannah
- savannah market, savannah
- savannah mart, savannah
- shell food mart, savannah
- shell food mart, savannah
- shiv convenience 1, savannah
- shiv discount corner 2, savannah
- shop n go 2 of ga, savannah
- shree ganeshay 9 llc, savannah
- shree gunatit, savannah
- shree jis sav. foodmart inc, savannah
- shreesji convenience mart, savannah
- shyam food mart, savannah
- smart shop, savannah
- smart shop 0, savannah
- sunny's flashmart, port wentworth
- sunoco - shyamal 4 corp, savannah
- sunoco food mart, savannah
- sunoco gas station, savannah
- the foodmart, pooler
- the hub, savannah
- thunderbolt convenience 001, savannah
- thunderbolt marathon, savannah
- us food store, savannah
- victory bp, savannah
- victory station, savannah
- vyom tani llc, port wentworth
- waters chevron, inc., savannah
- waters market, savannah
- wawa store 6309, pooler
- wheaton bp, savannah
- whitaker market, savannah
- yash food mart, savannah
- yogi, garden city
- zacks quick stop, savannah
Combination Grocery/Other · 64
- cvs pharmacy 4230, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 60, port wentworth
- cvs pharmacy 6369, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 7228, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 11017, pooler
- cvs pharmacy 4187, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 4229, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 4257, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 4260, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 4261, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 5351, savannah
- cvs pharmacy 5520, savannah
- dollar general 2956, garden city
- dollar general 3596, pooler
- dollar general 4485, savannah
- dollartree 8059, savannah
- dollartree 8166, savannah
- dollartree 8960, savannah
- dollartree 9282, savannah
- dollar general 12117, savannah
- dollar general 12313, savannah
- dollar general 12727, savannah
- dollar general 13629, savannah
- dollar general 13714, savannah
- dollar general 15102, pooler
- dollar general 15520, savannah
- dollar general 15936, savannah
- dollar general 16280, bloomingdale
- dollar general 17036, savannah
- dollar general 19590, bloomingdale
- dollar general 20159, savannah
- dollar general 20855, garden city
- dollar general 21735, port wentworth
- dollar general 25535, savannah
- dollar general store 16940, port wentworth
- dollar tree 1150, savannah
- dollar tree 1152, savannah
- dollar tree 372, savannah
- dollar tree 466, savannah
- dollar tree 7449, pooler
- dollar tree 809, savannah
- family dollar 11865, savannah
- family dollar 1809, savannah
- family dollar 315, savannah
- family dollar 8572, pooler
- family dollar 8738, savannah
- family dollar 9019, savannah
- family dollar store 356, savannah
- family dollar store 426, savannah
- family dollar store 7927, port wentworth
- family dollar store 8034, savannah
- nancy's seafood, savannah
- okey tropical market, savannah
- stokes produce, garden city
- viet huong oriental market, savannah
- walgreens 5368, savannah
- walgreens 10635, savannah
- walgreens 11538, savannah
- walgreens 15611, savannah
- walgreens 18341, pooler
- walgreens 19629, savannah
- walgreens 21192, savannah
- walgreens 2171, savannah
- walgreens 6098, savannah
Large Grocery Store · 3
- chus market, savannah
- cuevas mexican store, tybee island
- tybee market, tybee island
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's pizza ga005, savannah
- papa murphy's pizza ga009, savannah
Delivery Route · 1
- masseyfoods, savannah
Farmers' Market · 1
- forsyth farmers market, savannah
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- ogeechee meat market, savannah
Showing 250 of 314 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Chatham County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Chatham County sits inside Georgia (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 Chatham County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Chatham County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Chatham County? ▼
Is Chatham County a food desert? ▼
What share of Chatham 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.