Signature · 8.7% low-access (17th pct)
Cherokee County, NC
Cherokee County lands in the lower national band on low-access (8.7%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 8.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 30K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cherokee County, NC
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 8.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -13.4 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 14% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Caswell County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Cherokee County lands in the lower national band (8.7%, #2,582 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,582
- national by low-access %
- #69
- in NC
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 873
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 8.7% low-access (17th pct) (-13.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Cherokee County compares nationally
Cherokee County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.7% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,582).
Cherokee County's lower-band USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 7 of Cherokee County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Cherokee 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
- Cherokee 8.7
Cherokee 8.7%
8.7 % low-access
- Caswell 8.7
Caswell 8.7%
8.7 % low-access
- Orange 8.7
Orange 8.7%
8.7 % low-access
- Robeson 8.5
Robeson 8.5%
8.5 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson 8.4%
8.4 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 27,444 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,399 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 873 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 29,562 |
| Median Household Income | $53,628 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,577 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Cherokee County
Cherokee County has 28 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 28 authorized stores; Murphy holds 79% of them. 1 of the 3 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Marble.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Murphy | 22 | 4 |
| Andrews | 5 | 1 |
| Marble | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 11
- fastop market 309, murphy
- hanging dog general store 1, murphy
- hot spot 2008, murphy
- joe brown quick mart n/a, murphy
- kermit's quick stop, llc, murphy
- murphy usa 7771, murphy
- shell food mart, andrews
- the country store, murphy
- the local market 207, andrews
- the local market 217, murphy
- wag a bag, murphy
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 0430, murphy
- dollar general 3151, andrews
- dollar general 6261, murphy
- dollar general 12378, marble
- dollar general 12539, murphy
- dollar general 22094, murphy
- dollar general 25246, andrews
- dollar tree 1888, murphy
- walgreens 16253, murphy
Supermarket · 4
- grocery outlet 8, murphy
- ingles markets 25, murphy
- ingles markets 47, andrews
- save a lot 410, murphy
Farmers' Market · 2
- heartland inc 1, murphy
- murphy farmers market ffab, murphy
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- spud's shack, murphy
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 515, murphy
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 Cherokee County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Cherokee County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Cherokee County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (8.7% here).
- Bedford County, VA · 8.7% low-access
- Randolph County, WV · 8.7% low-access
- Crawford County, IL · 8.7% low-access
- Orange County, CA · 8.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (11.9% here).
- Rockland County, NY · 11.9% SNAP
- Licking County, OH · 11.9% SNAP
- Scotts Bluff County, NE · 11.9% SNAP
- Anderson County, TN · 11.9% 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%). Cherokee County, at 8.7%, runs 14.2 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 Cherokee County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37039. 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.