Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Clay County, WV
Clay County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 18.4% low-access.
- 18.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 32.6%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Clay County, WV
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 18.4% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 32.6% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 10.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Braxton County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Clay County ranks #1,822 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #22 of 52 counties in WV (18.4% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,822
- national by low-access %
- #22
- in WV
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 925
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Clay County compares nationally
Clay County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.4% low-access share that beats 42% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,822).
Clay County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 3 of Clay County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Clay County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Gilmer
Gilmer 81.6%
81.6 % low-access
- Clay 18.4
Clay 18.4%
18.4 % low-access
- Braxton 18.3
Braxton 18.3%
18.3 % low-access
- Putnam 18.1
Putnam 18.1%
18.1 % low-access
- Mason 18
Mason 18%
18 % low-access
- Jackson 17.7
Jackson 17.7%
17.7 % low-access
- Pleasants 0
Pleasants 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 9,386 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,722 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 925 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,835 |
| Median Household Income | $42,318 |
| Poverty Rate | 26.4%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 969 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 32.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.3%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
SNAP retailers in Clay County
Clay County has 11 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (73% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 11 authorized stores; Clay holds 27% of them. None of the towns has a supermarket or large/medium grocery on the SNAP list.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Clay | 3 | none |
| Ivydale | 3 | none |
| Bickmore | 1 | none |
| Indore | 1 | none |
| Lizemores | 1 | none |
| Maysel | 1 | none |
| Wallback | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 8
- cunningham motors inc, ivydale
- go mart 65, clay
- go mart 86, ivydale
- legacy foods, indore
- little general 3075, lizemores
- mason county exxon 160, ivydale
- par mar store 172, maysel
- par mar store 217, bickmore
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 0903, clay
- dollar general 19536, wallback
- family dollar store 3120, clay
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in West Virginia
One of 54 counties in West Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Clay County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
West Virginia among South Atlantic states
West Virginia ranks 7th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (21.3%). Clay County, at 18.4%, runs 2.9 pts below the West Virginia rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54015. 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.