County food-access profile · Alabama
Clarke County, AL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Clarke County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 39.4%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 23.5%
- on SNAP
- 23K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
39.4% of Clarke County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 11.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 20.1%
- 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).
USDA data puts Clarke County's low-access share at 39.4%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,186 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,740 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 Clarke County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Clarke County's 39.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 87% of them and ranked #421 most-affected nationwide.
Clarke County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Clarke County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Clarke County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- Clarke
Clarke County, AL
39.4 % low-access
- Autauga
Autauga County, AL
33.9 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, AL
25.1 % low-access
- Barbour
Barbour County, AL
20.5 % low-access
- Bibb 1.6
Bibb County, AL
1.6 % low-access
- Blount 6.8
Blount County, AL
6.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 25,833 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,186 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,740 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 22,543 |
| Median Household Income | $49,249 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,983 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 23.5%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 11.6%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 23.5% of Clarke County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 39.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 23.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,983 households here.
- 11.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Clarke County
above the national share
5 of Clarke County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 55.6% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 10,186 residents, roughly 39.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,740 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Clarke County
Clarke County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 14 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 14
- cvs pharmacy 4868, jackson
- dollar general 0717, grove hill
- dollar general 0718, jackson
- dollar general 0733, thomasville
- dollar general 19415, fulton
- dollar general 4359, thomasville
- dollar general 7714, jackson
- dollar general 17455, coffeeville
- dollar general 31016, gainestown
- dollar tree 2441, thomasville
- dollar tree 4672, jackson
- family dollar store 1375, jackson
- family dollar 10233, grove hill
- walgreens 11115, thomasville
Convenience Store · 11
- bradford grocery, llc, dickinson
- circle k store 2706636, jackson
- circle k store 2706637, grove hill
- diamond 12, grove hill
- exxon downtown, jackson
- goco 206, coffeeville
- grovehill ez mart, jackson
- jackson quick stop, grove hill
- murphy usa 5702, thomasville
- murphy usa 5815, jackson
- thomasville shell 2, thomasville
Super Store · 3
- super foods, thomasville
- walmart supercenter 1174, thomasville
- walmart supercenter 2760, jackson
Supermarket · 2
- cashsaver 50, grove hill
- ramey's 13, jackson
Seafood Specialty · 1
- seafood mart, thomasville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare Clarke County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
Clarke County sits inside Alabama (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Clarke County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Clarke County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Clarke County? ▼
Is Clarke County a food desert? ▼
What share of Clarke County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.