PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Cheatham County, TN

Most of Cheatham County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

7.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
5.9%
on SNAP
42K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

7.6% of Cheatham County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
549
food-desert residents
2.0%
households, no vehicle
7.7%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Cheatham County fares better than most: just 7.6% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 9 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,960 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Cheatham County compares nationally

Food access in Cheatham County compares favorably nationally: its 7.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 15% of them (rank #2,671).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cheatham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Cheatham 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 Cheatham County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (88.9%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) Adequate 89% Limited 11% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Cheatham County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cheatham County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Cheatham County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,105
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population2,960
Low-Access Share7.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population549

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cheatham County
IndicatorValue
Population41,829
Median Household Income$89,852
Poverty Rate7.7%well below the national average
SNAP Households957
SNAP Participation Rate5.9%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%
SNAP participation in Cheatham County 5.9%

About 5.9% of Cheatham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 7.6% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 957 households here.
  • 2.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $89,852 with a 7.7% poverty rate.

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 Cheatham County

below the national share

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

An estimated 2,960 residents, roughly 7.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 549 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cheatham County

Cheatham County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (49% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • dollar general 333, ashland city
  • dollar general 6949, pegram
  • dollar general 13301, ashland city
  • dollar general 16016, kingston springs
  • dollar general 17059, ashland city
  • dollar general 17134, ashland city
  • dollar general 25273, ashland city
  • dollar general 25429, ashland city
  • dollar general 8783, joelton
  • dollar tree 6343, ashland city
  • sudden service 12, ashland city
  • sudden service 13, kingston springs
  • sudden service 4, pleasant view
  • sudden service 5, pleasant view
  • sudden service 58, pleasant view
  • twice daily 0041, cedar hill
  • twice daily 8046, joelton
  • walgreens 13009, ashland city

Convenience Store · 12

  • braces market, ashland city
  • circle k 4703961, kingston springs
  • circle k 4703710, ashland city
  • lakeview market and hardware, ashland city
  • murphy usa 7062, ashland city
  • new hope market, joelton
  • petro kingston springs 349, kingston springs
  • quickmart 6, ashland city
  • r & r energy llc, joelton
  • randal orange market inc, ashland city
  • rr market, ashland city
  • thorntons llc 511615, kingston springs

Super Store · 4

  • cashsaver 75, ashland city
  • dollar general market 9801, pleasant view
  • hg hill food store 86, pleasant view
  • walmart supercenter 1226, ashland city

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 0693, ashland city
  • tony's cee bee food store inc, joelton

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • lawrence foods, kingston springs

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Cheatham County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Cheatham County sits inside Tennessee (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 Cheatham County has low food access? ▼
7.6% of residents in Cheatham County, TN 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 Cheatham County? ▼
5.9% of households in Cheatham County receive SNAP, covering 957 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cheatham County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cheatham County, TN is 7.7%, with a median household income of $89,852 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cheatham County a food desert? ▼
0 of Cheatham County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Cheatham County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.0% of households in Cheatham 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.