PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Clarendon County, SC

Clarendon 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.

16.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
17.1%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

16.5% of Clarendon County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
10.1%
households, no vehicle
15.4%
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).

Clarendon County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.5% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,785 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,543 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 Clarendon County compares nationally

Clarendon County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.5% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,994).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Clarendon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Clarendon 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 Clarendon County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 73% Limited 18% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Clarendon County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Clarendon 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 Clarendon County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)34,971
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population5,785
Low-Access Share16.5%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,543

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Clarendon County
IndicatorValue
Population30,986
Median Household Income$52,401
Poverty Rate15.4%near the national average
SNAP Households2,111
SNAP Participation Rate17.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.1%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.5%
SNAP participation in Clarendon County 17.1%

About 17.1% of Clarendon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 17.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,111 households here.
  • 10.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Clarendon County

near the national share

1 of Clarendon County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 5,785 residents, roughly 16.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,543 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 Clarendon County

Clarendon County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • 7up mart, manning
  • central mini stop, lake city
  • corner pantry 140, manning
  • corner pantry 148, manning
  • ds's country store1050 bill, manning
  • kk mart, summerton
  • lakeside market, summerton
  • love's travel stop 790, summerton
  • marathon manning, manning
  • minute man market, manning
  • moore food store 122, alcolu
  • murphy usa 7422, manning
  • nouria 3425 paxville highway 893, manning
  • nouria 3745 greeleyville highway 873, manning
  • nouria 8440 st. paul road 889, summerton
  • paxville superette, manning
  • quickpantry#25, manning
  • quiktrip 7138, manning
  • short trip #5, manning
  • short trip #101, manning
  • short trip 4, summerton
  • silver convenience, manning
  • ta manning 179, manning
  • tc express market & grill, manning

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs pharmacy 3597, manning
  • dollar general 1142, manning
  • dollar general 1798, manning
  • dollar general 4138, turbeville
  • dollar general 15194, manning
  • dollar general 21997, manning
  • dollar general 24061, manning
  • dollar general 24427, manning
  • dollar general 25305, alcolu
  • dollar general 31169, manning
  • dollar general 6368, summerton
  • dollar tree 7362, manning
  • family dollar 187, manning
  • family dollar 6782, manning
  • family dollar 7496, turbeville

Super Store · 3

  • piggly wiggly 32, manning
  • turbeville iga 617, turbeville
  • walmart supercenter 1017, manning

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • frierson farms & country store, manning

Supermarket · 1

  • manning iga 641, manning

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 Clarendon County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Clarendon 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 Clarendon County has low food access? ▼
16.5% of residents in Clarendon 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 Clarendon County? ▼
17.1% of households in Clarendon County receive SNAP, covering 2,111 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Clarendon County? ▼
The poverty rate in Clarendon County, SC is 15.4%, with a median household income of $52,401 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Clarendon County a food desert? ▼
1 of Clarendon 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 Clarendon County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.1% of households in Clarendon 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.