PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Chatham County, NC

Chatham County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

11.2%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
5.1%
on SNAP
80K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

11.2% of Chatham County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
2.6%
households, no vehicle
11.0%
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).

Chatham County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.2% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,136 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,890 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

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 #2,400).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Chatham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 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).

Food access tier distribution for Chatham County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (61.5%) 1 tracts limited (7.7%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (30.8%) Adequate 62% Limited 8% Severe 31% Food-access tier distribution: Chatham County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Chatham County vs. other North Carolina counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Chatham County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)63,505
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population7,136
Low-Access Share11.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,890

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Chatham County
IndicatorValue
Population80,151
Median Household Income$94,317
Poverty Rate11.0%below the national average
SNAP Households1,675
SNAP Participation Rate5.1%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.6%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Chatham County 5.1%

About 5.1% of Chatham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 11.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,675 households here.
  • 2.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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

near the national share

4 of Chatham County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.8% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 7,136 residents, roughly 11.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,890 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (61.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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.

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 retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Chatham County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Chatham County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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? ▼
11.2% of residents in Chatham County, NC live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Chatham County? ▼
5.1% of households in Chatham County receive SNAP, covering 1,675 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Chatham County? ▼
The poverty rate in Chatham County, NC is 11.0%, with a median household income of $94,317 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Chatham County a food desert? ▼
4 of Chatham County's 13 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Chatham County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.6% of households in Chatham County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.