PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Claiborne County, TN

Claiborne 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.

8.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.8%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

8.4% of Claiborne County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
17.4%
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).

Claiborne County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.4% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,711 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,430 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 Claiborne County compares nationally

Claiborne County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.4% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,614).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Claiborne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Claiborne 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 Claiborne County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (77.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 78% Limited 0% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Claiborne County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Claiborne 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 Claiborne County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,213
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,711
Low-Access Share8.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,430

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Claiborne County
IndicatorValue
Population32,466
Median Household Income$49,379
Poverty Rate17.4%above the national average
SNAP Households2,031
SNAP Participation Rate14.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Claiborne County 14.8%

About 14.8% of Claiborne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,031 households here.
  • 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Claiborne County

near the national share

2 of Claiborne County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,711 residents, roughly 8.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,430 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Claiborne County

Claiborne County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • cedar grove pic-n-pay mkt, new tazewell
  • catdaddy's market sunoco, tazewell
  • harry's 31, new tazewell
  • hometown produce, new tazewell
  • johnson grocery & deli, clairfield
  • lee's food mart 01, tazewell
  • lee's food mart 118, tazewell
  • lee's food mart 13, tazewell
  • lee's food mart 14, new tazewell
  • lee's food mart 19, harrogate
  • lee's food mart 2, harrogate
  • lee's food mart 7, cumberland gap
  • rigsby's hunting & fishing, tazewell
  • springdale pic n pay food mart, tazewell
  • southern outdoors n/a, tazewell
  • stop n shop 1, speedwell
  • tazewell citgo, tazewell

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 13799, new tazewell
  • dollar general 3309, harrogate
  • dollar general 444, new tazewell
  • dollar general 14971, speedwell
  • dollar general 20914, harrogate
  • dollar general 21019, tazewell
  • dollar general 22035, clairfield
  • dollar general 23961, tazewell
  • dollar general 31044, tazewell
  • dollar general store 16211, speedwell
  • dollartree 2255, new tazewell
  • walgreens 11435, new tazewell

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • united grocery outlet 19, new tazewell
  • village market, harrogate

Supermarket · 2

  • food city 645, tazewell
  • ingles markets 302, new tazewell

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • hickory corner farms, speedwell

Super Store · 1

  • walmart store 1159, new tazewell

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 Claiborne County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Claiborne 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 Claiborne County has low food access? ▼
8.4% of residents in Claiborne 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 Claiborne County? ▼
14.8% of households in Claiborne County receive SNAP, covering 2,031 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Claiborne County? ▼
The poverty rate in Claiborne County, TN is 17.4%, with a median household income of $49,379 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Claiborne County a food desert? ▼
2 of Claiborne County's 9 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 Claiborne County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Claiborne 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.