County food-access profile · Georgia
Clarke County, GA
Clarke County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 40.0%
- low-access pop.
- 13
- food-desert tracts
- 9.4%
- on SNAP
- 130K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
40.0% of Clarke County residents live in a low-access area, and 13 of its 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 25K
- food-desert residents
- 6.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 26.0%
- 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).
Clarke County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 40.0% is well above the national share. 19 of the county's 30 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 46,718 people. 13 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 25,477 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
Clarke County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.0% low-access share outpaces 87% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #398 most-affected nationwide.
Clarke County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 30 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 Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Clarke
Clarke County, GA
40 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 30 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 116,714 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 13 |
| Low-Access Population | 46,718 |
| Low-Access Share | 40.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 25,477 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 129,609 |
| Median Household Income | $53,625 |
| Poverty Rate | 26.0%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,127 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.1% |
About 9.4% of Clarke County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 40.0% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,127 households here.
- 6.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 13 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
well above the national share
13 of Clarke County's 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 43.3% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.
An estimated 46,718 residents, roughly 40.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 25,477 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (36.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Clarke County
Clarke County has 121 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 63 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 63
- 1190 food mart, athens
- 1960 foodmart, athens
- 2545 food mart, athens
- athens food mart, athens
- bulldog corner, athens
- barnett shoals food & gas, athens
- bp food mart, athens
- chevron 4450, athens
- chevron athens, athens
- chevron food mart, athens
- chevron food mart, athens
- circle k 2723316, athens
- circle k 2723320, athens
- circle k 2723346, athens
- commerce rd shell, athens
- dawgs food mart, athens
- exxon food mart, athens
- fast fare, athens
- fast trac, athens
- flowers bakery outlet 143, athens
- gas express llc ck 245, athens
- golden pantry food stores 1002, athens
- golden pantry food stores 1005, athens
- golden pantry food stores 1009, winterville
- golden pantry food stores 1020, athens
- golden pantry food stores 1066, athens
- golden pantry food stores 1097, athens
- golden pantry food stores, inc. 1001, athens
- handy pantry, athens
- harry's 34, athens
- harry's 35, athens
- highway food mart, athens
- ila food & fuel llc, athens
- j c food store, athens
- jp lexington rd 289, athens
- jimbo's 3, athens
- jp jefferson road 215, athens
- kanattu food mart, athens
- lara food mart, athens
- lazy shopper convenience store, athens
- magic convenience store, athens
- magic smoke groceries & lotto, athens
- marathon food mart 2, athens
- murphy express 8577, athens
- murphy usa 6788, athens
- nima food mart, athens
- north avenue enterprises llc, athens
- on the way, athens
- petro express, athens
- quick pantry, athens
- quick pantry, athens
- quick pantry, athens
- quick pantry, athens
- quiktrip 1726, athens
- quiktrip 1728, athens
- quiktrip 819, athens
- race trac 285, bogart
- race trac 643, athens
- racetrac 2564, athens
- racetrac 2592, athens
- sams foodmart # 1, athens
- savita enterprise llc, athens
- sips market - baxter st, athens
Combination Grocery/Other · 21
- cvs pharmacy 3874, athens
- cvs pharmacy 5704, athens
- cvs pharmacy 10865, athens
- cvs pharmacy 4555, athens
- dollar general 13858, athens
- dollar general 14048, athens
- dollar general 8743, winterville
- dollartree 10245, athens
- dollartree 11043, athens
- dollartree 1503, athens
- dollar general 15280, athens
- dollar general 15295, athens
- dollar general 25811, athens
- dollar general 3547, athens
- dollar general store 17447, athens
- dollar tree 20, athens
- family dollar 11739, athens
- family dollar 12036, athens
- family dollar store 3055, athens
- walgreens 17805, athens
- walgreens 7134, athens
Super Store · 12
- dollar general market 13517, athens
- kroger 255, athens
- kroger 435, athens
- kroger st0re 428, athens
- kroger 618, athens
- kroger 665, athens
- sam's club 8194, athens
- target store 1453, athens
- target store t3362, athens
- walmart neighborhood market 5267, athens
- walmart s/c 1400, athens
- walmart supercenter 2811, athens
Medium Grocery Store · 11
- angeles janeth supermarket, athens
- corner's edge butcher shoppe, athens
- costa de jalisco 2, athens
- fooks foods, athens
- la jalisco of athens, athens
- los amigos supermercado llc, athens
- los compadres, athens
- manna groceries, athens
- supermarket camino real inc, athens
- supermercado la pasadita, athens
- tienda mexicana el bajio 1, athens
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 76018, athens
- aldi 76003, athens
- b&t's food fresh 6, athens
- earth fare 300, athens
- publix 1146, athens
- publix 451, athens
- piggly wiggly athens 19, athens
- publix super markets, inc. 1838, athens
- the fresh market 155, athens
Farmers' Market · 2
- marigold market, winterville
- west broad market garden, athens
Small Grocery Store · 2
- daily groceries, athens
- orient mart, athens
Large Grocery Store · 1
- prince market, athens
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Clarke County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Clarke County sits inside Georgia (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.