Signature · 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts)
Chester County, SC
Chester County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of the book) alongside 15.9% low-access.
- 15.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 16.7%
- on SNAP
- 32K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Chester County, SC
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 15.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Laurens County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Chester County ranks #2,033 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #29 of 45 counties in SC (15.9% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #2,033
- national by low-access %
- #29
- in SC
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts) .
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).
Chester County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Chester County has 3 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Chester County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in South Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Beaufort
Beaufort 49%
49 % low-access
- Florence 17.8
Florence 17.8%
17.8 % low-access
- Clarendon 16.5
Clarendon 16.5%
16.5 % low-access
- Chester 15.9
Chester 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Laurens 15.7
Laurens 15.7%
15.7 % low-access
- Greenwood 13.6
Greenwood 13.6%
13.6 % low-access
- Barnwell 0
Barnwell 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 33,140 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,275 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,016 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,182 |
| Median Household Income | $52,458 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,204 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in South Carolina
One of 45 counties in South Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Chester County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Chester County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Chester County, both outside South Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside SC (15.9% here).
- Providence County, RI · 15.9% low-access
- Providence County, RI · 15.9% low-access
- Somerset County, PA · 15.9% low-access
- Somerset County, PA · 15.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside SC (16.7% here).
- Angelina County, TX · 16.7% SNAP
- Angelina County, TX · 16.7% SNAP
- Baker County, OR · 16.7% SNAP
- Baker County, OR · 16.7% 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.
Food access nationally, South Carolina in context
Chester County sits inside South Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Chester County, SC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 45023. 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.