County food-access profile · Georgia
Cobb County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cobb 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).
- 38.9%
- low-access pop.
- 12
- food-desert tracts
- 6.2%
- on SNAP
- 775K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
38.9% of Cobb County residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 120 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 88
- low-access tracts
- 55K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.7%
- 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 Cobb County's low-access share at 38.9%, above the national share. 88 of the county's 120 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 267,656 people. 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 55,150 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 Cobb County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cobb County's 38.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #444 most-affected nationwide.
Cobb County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 120 census tracts in Cobb County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cobb County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Cobb
Cobb County, GA
38.9 % 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 | 120 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 688,078 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 88 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 12 |
| Low-Access Population | 267,656 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 55,150 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 775,208 |
| Median Household Income | $102,738 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 18,374 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 6.2% of Cobb County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 38.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 18,374 households here.
- 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 12 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 Cobb County
above the national share
12 of Cobb County's 120 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.
A further 76 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 88.
An estimated 267,656 residents, roughly 38.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 55,150 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 32 tracts (26.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cobb County
Cobb County has 427 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 146 locations (34% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 146
- 1175 chevron mini mart llc, marietta
- 2365 mini mart llc, marietta
- 247 food mart, marietta
- 5 points food store, smyrna
- 786 all good llc, marietta
- a mays foodmart, marietta
- ais business inc, austell
- allgood properties 62 llc, marietta
- american fuels llc, marietta
- amigo food mart, marietta
- as enterprise, marietta
- atlanta road grocery, marietta
- austell food & gas, austell
- austell food store, austell
- bp ampm, kennesaw
- barrett commercial properties llc, kennesaw
- barrett parkway circle-k 0, kennesaw
- blackwell chevron, marietta
- bp ampm 64390, mableton
- bp food mart, kennesaw
- chevron food mart, acworth
- citgo food mart, kennesaw
- canton food mart usa, marietta
- carniceria conchita, marietta
- cherokee food mart, kennesaw
- chevron convenience center, kennesaw
- chevron dallas hwy, powder springs
- chevron food mart, kennesaw
- chevron food mart, marietta
- chevron food mart, austell
- chevron food mart, powder springs
- chevron food mart, marietta
- chevron food mart, smyrna
- chevron food mart 0, marietta
- chevron food mart 1, smyrna
- chevron food mart na, marietta
- circle k #198, marietta
- circle k #202, marietta
- circle k 183, marietta
- circle k 5259, marietta
- circle m food shop 64, marietta
- citgo food mart, mableton
- citgo food mart, marietta
- citgo food mart, marietta
- citgo food shop, kennesaw
- citgo foodmart, mableton
- citgo quick food mart, smyrna
- clipper 49, smyrna
- clipper 77, smyrna
- cobb foodmart, marietta
- cobb kwik mart, marietta
- corner mart, marietta
- daily market, marietta
- discount smoke & food mart, smyrna
- e - z trip chevron, smyrna
- exxon food mart, mableton
- exxon food mart, marietta
- family grocery, smyrna
- fast track sonoco, powder springs
- food express 2, powder springs
- food mart, marietta
- food mart, marietta
- food mart, austell
- gas express llc dba circle k 150, kennesaw
- gas express llc dba circle k 211, kennesaw
- goods food mart, marietta
- haitian food store, austell
- hebys shell, mableton
- hurt rd texaco, austell
- jp cobb parkway 212, atlanta
- kk food mart, powder springs
- knock on wood llc, acworth
- la tiendita, marietta
- little shop rite, marietta
- lodhi 9 food mart llc, mableton
- lucky annam inc, austell
- mableton foodmart, mableton
- magania market, austell
- marietta bp, marietta
- mercado el canaston llc, austell
- mercado marietta, marietta
- moon station texaco food mart, kennesaw
- murphy usa 6762, acworth
- murphy usa 7554, marietta
- nature's pick market n/a, marietta
- neighbors food mart, mableton
- p s food mart, marietta
- pack n sack food mart llc, kennesaw
- petro mart, austell
- phoenix business group, marietta
- preet bansri inc, kennesaw
- punjabijatt, marietta
- quiktrip 727, marietta
- quiktrip 729, atlanta
- quiktrip 732, smyrna
- quiktrip 733, austell
- quiktrip 738, mableton
- quiktrip 742, austell
- quiktrip 752, kennesaw
- quiktrip 753, kennesaw
- quiktrip 754, roswell
- quiktrip 768, smyrna
- quiktrip 775, marietta
- quiktrip 806, marietta
- quiktrip 811, acworth
- quiktrip 815, marietta
- quick food mart, marietta
- quick serve mart 1, acworth
- quick trip mart llc, acworth
- quik stop austell, marietta
- quiktrip 1702, smyrna
- quiktrip 1715, kennesaw
- quiktrip 1745, marietta
- quiktrip 713r, marietta
- quiktrip 719, marietta
- quiktrip 743, marietta
- quiktrip 749, marietta
- quiktrip 839, mabelton
- quiktrip 845, marietta
- race trac 122, marietta
- race trac 140, mableton
- race trac 2452, marietta
- race trac 247, marietta
- race trac 256, smyrna
- race trac 328, marietta
- race trac 434, kennesaw
- race trac 52, kennesaw
- race trac 53, mableton
- race trac 548, marietta
- race trac 579, smyrna
- race trac 618, acworth
- race trac 633, smyrna
- race trac 660, austell
- race trac 78, marietta
- racetrac 2359, kennesaw
- racetrac 2312, acworth
- racetrac 2457, marietta
- racetrac 2460, marietta
- racetrac 2491, marietta
- racetrac 2498, powder springs
- racetrac 2510, mableton
- racetrac 2558, marietta
- racetrac 2596, marietta
- rallies food mart, smyrna
- riaan, powder springs
- rk market, kennesaw
Combination Grocery/Other · 104
- big lots 3323, marietta
- big lots 3324, smyrna
- becky mart, mableton
- cvs pharmacy 2086, atlanta
- cvs pharmacy 2089, vinings
- cvs pharmacy 2107, marietta
- cvs pharmacy 2146, smyrna
- cvs pharmacy 3687, marietta
- cvs pharmacy 4522, austell
- cvs pharmacy 5051, marietta
- cvs pharmacy 7044, marietta
- cvs pharmacy 2102, marietta
- cvs pharmacy 2147, kennesaw
- cvs pharmacy 3013, marietta
- cvs pharmacy 4668, powder springs
- cvs pharmacy 4669, marietta
- cvs pharmacy 4740, smyrna
- cvs pharmacy 6106, marietta
- cvs/pharmacy 2187, mableton
- dollar general 1757, kennesaw
- dollar general 19469, kennesaw
- dollar general 2565, austell
- dollar general 3937, marietta
- dollar general 6034, marietta
- dollar general 613, powder springs
- dollar general 8200, marietta
- dollar general 9612, mableton
- dollartree 11011, atlanta
- dollartree 11058, austell
- dollartree 713, mableton
- dollartree 7142, powder springs
- dollartree 9731, marietta
- delight tropical, marietta
- dollar general 11983, austell
- dollar general 12586, smyrna
- dollar general 16756, powder springs
- dollar general 18209, mableton
- dollar general 21434, austell
- dollar general 22601, acworth
- dollar general 22998, austell
- dollar general 23627, acworth
- dollar general 30442, powder springs
- dollar tree 1160, smyrna
- dollar tree 1807, kennesaw
- dollar tree 280, marietta
- dollar tree 3277, marietta
- dollar tree 3588, marietta
- dollar tree 3617, acworth
- dollar tree 4590, marietta
- dollar tree 4765, marietta
- dollar tree 4864, marietta
- dollar tree 5137, marietta
- dollar tree 5178, marietta
- dollar tree 5996, marietta
- dollar tree 614, austell
- dollar tree 6226, marietta
- dollar tree 7244, austell
- dollar tree 7317, mableton
- dollar tree 7776, acworth
- dollar tree 862, smyrna
- family dollar 10056, marietta
- family dollar 10151, powder springs
- family dollar 10267, marietta
- family dollar 10480, acworth
- family dollar 11748, powder springs
- family dollar 2341, marietta
- family dollar 3075, smyrna
- family dollar 3143, smyrna
- family dollar 363, marietta
- family dollar 364, mableton
- family dollar 4370, austell
- family dollar 7527, smyrna
- family dollar 9106, marietta
- family dollar store 10326, mableton
- ideal tropical foods, smyrna
- jahs tropical market, austell
- le marche, marietta
- la casita 2, mableton
- marietta halal meat & groceries, marietta
- mile 12 africa & tropical mart, acworth
- rac's tropical food market, kennesaw
- tripoli halal meat, marietta
- walgreen 01646, marietta
- walgreen 05758, smyrna
- walgreen 09272, marietta
- walgreens 5811, austell
- walgreens 5901, smyrna
- walgreens 5902, smyrna
- walgreen 19823, atlanta
- walgreens 07068, kennesaw
- walgreens 09452, mableton
- walgreens 2455, marietta
- walgreens 5337, marietta
- walgreens 5447, marietta
- walgreens 5485, kennesaw
- walgreens 5897, powder springs
- walgreens 6206, marietta
- walgreens 6325, powder springs
- walgreens 6330, marietta
- walgreens 6461, acworth
- walgreens 7338, acworth
- walgreens 7526, marietta
- walgreens 7764, kennesaw
- watan international grocery, kennesaw
Showing 250 of 427 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Cobb County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Cobb 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 Cobb County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cobb County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cobb County? ▼
Is Cobb County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cobb 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.