PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Cocke County, TN

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cocke 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).

21.9%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
18.8%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

21.9% of Cocke County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
21.9%
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 Cocke County's low-access share at 21.9%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,827 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,992 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 Cocke County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cocke County's 21.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,535 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cocke County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Cocke County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Cocke County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (44.4%) Adequate 44% Limited 11% Severe 44% Food-access tier distribution: Cocke County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cocke County vs. other Tennessee counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Cocke County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)35,662
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population7,827
Low-Access Share21.9%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,992

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cocke County
IndicatorValue
Population36,813
Median Household Income$48,016
Poverty Rate21.9%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,913
SNAP Participation Rate18.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Cocke County 18.8%

About 18.8% of Cocke County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 18.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,913 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Cocke County

above the national share

4 of Cocke County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 44.4% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 7,827 residents, roughly 21.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,992 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cocke County

Cocke County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (61% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 33

  • 440 truckstop, newport
  • 95 mart 13, newport
  • a & m grocery 1, cosby
  • big o's hartford 5, hartford
  • bybee market 1, bybee
  • city park grocery, newport
  • djs market & deli, cosby
  • donna jo's market, cosby
  • ez stop food mart 19, newport
  • hop-in 647, newport
  • in and out market 1, newport
  • in n out market, newport
  • j and s mini mart, del rio
  • k square mobil, newport
  • kenjo 6, newport
  • kennys market 5, newport
  • lanes market 1, newport
  • love's travel stop 796, newport
  • mike's market, newport
  • murphy usa 6574, newport
  • newport citgo, newport
  • newport market & deli 1, newport
  • newport shell, newport
  • orange mart, newport
  • parrottsville market and deli, parrottsville
  • quick stop market 32, newport
  • racetrac 2682, newport
  • shan's market, newport
  • stop n go market, newport
  • vardayak inc., parrottsville
  • webb's market, cosby
  • weigel's 80, newport
  • zoomerz 959, newport

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs pharmacy 7246, newport
  • dollar general 10328, cosby
  • dollar general 19350, del rio
  • dollar general 4159, newport
  • dollar general 445, newport
  • dollar general 685, newport
  • dollar general 8702, newport
  • dollartree 8204, newport
  • dollar general 12905, parrottsville
  • dollar general 13726, newport
  • dollar general 17224, newport
  • dollar general 24355, cosby
  • dollar general 25541, newport
  • dollar tree 3157, newport
  • walgreens 10688, newport

Supermarket · 3

  • food city 604, newport
  • food city 614, newport
  • price less food 475, newport

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • newport bargain barn, newport

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • brock's open air market, newport

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 678, newport

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Cocke County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Cocke County sits inside Tennessee (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Cocke County has low food access? ▼
21.9% of residents in Cocke County, TN live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cocke County? ▼
18.8% of households in Cocke County receive SNAP, covering 2,913 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cocke County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cocke County, TN is 21.9%, with a median household income of $48,016 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cocke County a food desert? ▼
4 of Cocke County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Cocke County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Cocke County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.