Signature · 3.2% low-access (7th pct)
Clay County, NC
Clay County lands in the lower national band on low-access (3.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 3.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.2%
- on SNAP
- 12K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Clay County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 3.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -18.9 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Swain County ( -0.3 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Clay County lands in the lower national band (3.2%, #2,903 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,903
- national by low-access %
- #89
- in NC
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 116
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 3.2% low-access (7th pct) (-18.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Clay County compares nationally
Food access in Clay County compares favorably nationally: its 3.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,908).
Clay County's lower-band USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Clay County has 0 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.
Clay County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Camden 3.6
Camden 3.6%
3.6 % low-access
- Clay 3.2
Clay 3.2%
3.2 % low-access
- Swain 2.9
Swain 2.9%
2.9 % low-access
- McDowell 2.8
McDowell 2.8%
2.8 % low-access
- Graham 2.7
Graham 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 10,587 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 343 |
| Low-Access Share | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 116 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 11,610 |
| Median Household Income | $56,971 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 570 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
SNAP retailers in Clay County
Clay County has 11 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (64% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 23601, hayesville
- dollar general 25787, warne
- dollar general 30113, hayesville
- dollar general 3824, hayesville
- dollar general store 17442, hayesville
- mary hill store, hayesville
- walgreens 16107, hayesville
Convenience Store · 3
- hot spot 2032, hayesville
- kwik stop, warne
- the local market 202, hayesville
Supermarket · 1
- ingles markets 116, hayesville
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 Clay County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Clay County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Clay 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 (3.2% here).
- Morgan County, MO · 3.2% low-access
- Morgan County, MO · 3.2% low-access
- Meigs County, TN · 3.2% low-access
- Meigs County, TN · 3.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (11.2% here).
- Sanders County, MT · 11.2% SNAP
- Sanders County, MT · 11.2% SNAP
- Jasper County, SC · 11.2% SNAP
- Jasper County, SC · 11.2% 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.
Clay County inside a lower low-access state context
Clay 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 Clay County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37043. 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.