PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Chester County, SC

Chester 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.

15.9%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
16.7%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

15.9% of Chester County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.3%
households, no vehicle
18.7%
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).

Chester County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.9% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,275 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,016 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 Chester County compares nationally

Chester County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.9% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,046).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Chester County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Chester 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 Chester County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 73% Limited 0% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Chester County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Chester County vs. other South Carolina counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South 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 Chester County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,140
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population5,275
Low-Access Share15.9%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,016

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Chester County
IndicatorValue
Population32,182
Median Household Income$52,458
Poverty Rate18.7%above the national average
SNAP Households2,204
SNAP Participation Rate16.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.6%
SNAP participation in Chester County 16.7%

About 16.7% of Chester County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 15.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,204 households here.
  • 6.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Chester County

near the national share

3 of Chester County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 5,275 residents, roughly 15.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,016 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Chester County

Chester County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • 99 express, chester
  • bee's food mart, chester
  • bift llc, chester
  • blackstock depot, blackstock
  • center express, chester
  • chester express, chester
  • circle k 2721504, chester
  • clack's convenience corner, chester
  • hilltop deli and grocery, great falls
  • khushi food mart 1, chester
  • la pasadita latin store, chester
  • lam mart, chester
  • o z mart, chester
  • pops 320, great falls
  • pops 430, chester
  • quick c food mart, chester
  • quicktrip 1093, richburg
  • scotchman 3891, richburg
  • sisks in and out, chester
  • vy vy mart, chester

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 4386, chester
  • dollar general 1606, chester
  • dollar general 18816, chester
  • dollar general 3253, chester
  • dollar general 6508, fort lawn
  • dollar general 7413, great falls
  • dollar general 11331, richburg
  • dollar general 21758, chester
  • dollar tree 4685, chester
  • family dollar store 6701, great falls
  • family dollar store 5028, chester
  • roses express 682, chester

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2

  • the chester market of cotton hills farm, chester
  • the market at cotton hills farm, chester

Super Store · 2

  • kj's market-chester 639, chester
  • walmart supercenter 1603, chester

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 2804, chester
  • richburg commons iga, richburg

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • fort lawn community center, inc., fort lawn

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • great falls iga, great falls

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Chester County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Chester County sits inside South 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 Chester County has low food access? ▼
15.9% of residents in Chester County, SC 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 Chester County? ▼
16.7% of households in Chester County receive SNAP, covering 2,204 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Chester County? ▼
The poverty rate in Chester County, SC is 18.7%, with a median household income of $52,458 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Chester County a food desert? ▼
3 of Chester County's 11 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 Chester County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.3% of households in Chester 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.