Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Chowan County, NC
Chowan County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 35.1% low-access.
- 35.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 22.2%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Chowan County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 35.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +13.0 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 22.2% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 9.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Caldwell County (+ 0.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Chowan County sits in the upper national band (35.1%, #587 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #587
- national by low-access %
- #8
- in NC
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Chowan County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Chowan County's 35.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #589 most-affected nationwide.
Chowan County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Chowan County has 1 urban and 2 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.
Chowan County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Dare
Dare 35.6%
35.6 % low-access
- Chowan
Chowan 35.1%
35.1 % low-access
- Caldwell
Caldwell 35.1%
35.1 % low-access
- Craven
Craven 34.4%
34.4 % low-access
- Carteret
Carteret 33.2%
33.2 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 14,793 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,192 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,409 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,836 |
| Median Household Income | $53,864 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,359 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 22.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.8%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
SNAP retailers in Chowan County
Chowan County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 8 locations (47% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 5568, edenton
- dollar general 6339, edenton
- dollar general 9580, edenton
- dollar general 15847, edenton
- dollar general 20968, tyner
- dollar general 25423, edenton
- family dollar 11465, edenton
- walgreens 13465, edenton
Convenience Store · 6
- duck thru food store 11, edenton
- duck thru food store 40, edenton
- goody's convenience, tyner
- jims market and deli, edenton
- love food mart 2 2, edenton
- speedway 6967, edenton
Farmers' Market · 1
- edenton farmers market, edenton
Seafood Specialty · 1
- murray l nixon fishery, edenton
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 2225, edenton
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 Chowan County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Chowan County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Chowan 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 (35.1% here).
- Licking County, OH · 35.1% low-access
- Licking County, OH · 35.1% low-access
- Warren County, NJ · 35.1% low-access
- Warren County, NJ · 35.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (22.2% here).
- Haskell County, OK · 22.2% SNAP
- Haskell County, OK · 22.2% SNAP
- Tattnall County, GA · 22.2% SNAP
- Tattnall County, GA · 22.2% 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.
Chowan County inside a higher low-access state context
Chowan County sits inside North 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 Chowan County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37041. 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.