Signature · 5.1% SNAP (1st pct in NC)
Chatham County, NC
Chatham County lands in the lower national band on low-access (11.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 11.2%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 5.1%
- on SNAP
- 80K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Chatham County, NC
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 11.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -10.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 31% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Duplin County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Chatham County lands in the lower national band (11.2%, #2,392 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,392
- national by low-access %
- #59
- in NC
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 5.1% SNAP (1st pct in NC) (-7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Chatham County compares nationally
Chatham County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.2% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,392).
Chatham County's lower-band USDA tier split
13 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
Chatham County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (10 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Chatham County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Chatham 11.2
Chatham 11.2%
11.2 % low-access
- Duplin 11
Duplin 11%
11 % low-access
- Person 10.9
Person 10.9%
10.9 % low-access
- Halifax 10.8
Halifax 10.8%
10.8 % low-access
- Tyrrell 10.5
Tyrrell 10.5%
10.5 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,505 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,136 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,890 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 80,151 |
| Median Household Income | $94,317 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,675 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Chatham County
Chatham County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 49 authorized stores; Siler City holds 41% of them. 4 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Moncure, Bennett, Goldston, Durham.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Siler City | 20 | 7 |
| Pittsboro | 15 | 4 |
| Chapel Hill | 6 | 2 |
| Moncure | 3 | none |
| Bennett | 2 | none |
| Goldston | 2 | none |
| Durham | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 20
- bennett food & grocery, bennett
- bjc gas and convenience store, goldston
- circle k 2720294, chapel hill
- circle k 2723192, siler city
- circle k 2723298, pittsboro
- community gas and grocery, moncure
- fuel & food mart 2034489814, siler city
- han-dee hugos 258, pittsboro
- jordan mini mart, moncure
- murphy express 8563, siler city
- pittsboro food mart, pittsboro
- quick 'n' easy 8, siler city
- quick way mart, siler city
- refuel 1115, pittsboro
- refuel 1127, pittsboro
- refuel 1128, pittsboro
- refuel 1178, chapel hill
- refuel 1188, pittsboro
- sheetz 611, durham
- speedway 7944, siler city
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- cvs pharmacy 7321, chapel hill
- chatham meat co, siler city
- dollar general 0880, pittsboro
- dollar general 4587, siler city
- dollar general 11580, goldston
- dollar general 17915, bennett
- dollar general 21667, siler city
- dollar tree 1981, siler city
- dollar tree 5943, chapel hill
- family dollar 7249, siler city
- walgreens 11353, siler city
- walgreens 16142, pittsboro
Super Store · 4
- harris teeter 137, chapel hill
- piggly wiggly #15, siler city
- walmart supercenter 3182, chapel hill
- walmart supercenter 2845, siler city
Supermarket · 4
- food lion 1689, siler city
- food lion 2260, pittsboro
- food lion 884, pittsboro
- lowes foods 274, pittsboro
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- la jalisco, siler city
- loma linda inc., siler city
- tienda mexicana la posadita, siler city
Large Grocery Store · 2
- chatham marketplace, pittsboro
- compare foods 1, siler city
Small Grocery Store · 2
- agave general store, siler city
- ray's supermarket, moncure
Farmers' Market · 1
- pittsboro farmers' market, pittsboro
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- o'quinn's butcher shop, pittsboro
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 Chatham County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Chatham County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Chatham County (5.1%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside North Carolina.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (11.2% here).
- Washington County, OH · 11.2% low-access
- Pulaski County, VA · 11.2% low-access
- Manassas city, VA · 11.2% low-access
- Otero County, CO · 11.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (5.1% here).
- Jefferson County, MT · 5.1% SNAP
- Parker County, TX · 5.1% SNAP
- Calvert County, MD · 5.1% SNAP
- Alexandria city, VA · 5.1% 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.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). Chatham County, at 11.2%, runs 11.7 pts below the North Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Chatham County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37037. 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.