PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Alabama

Coffee County, AL

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

32.2%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
11.5%
on SNAP
55K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AL

The food-access picture

32.2% of Coffee County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
16.7%
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 Coffee County's low-access share at 32.2%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 16,060 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,491 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 Coffee County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Coffee County's 32.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #803 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Coffee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Coffee 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 Coffee County, AL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (57.1%) 4 tracts limited (28.6%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 57% Limited 29% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Coffee County, AL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Coffee County vs. other Alabama counties

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

% 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 Coffee County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,948
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population16,060
Low-Access Share32.2%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,491

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Coffee County
IndicatorValue
Population54,920
Median Household Income$68,353
Poverty Rate16.7%above the national average
SNAP Households2,417
SNAP Participation Rate11.5%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.4%
SNAP participation in Coffee County 11.5%

About 11.5% of Coffee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,417 households here.
  • 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Coffee County

above the national share

2 of Coffee County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 16,060 residents, roughly 32.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,491 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Coffee County

Coffee County has 57 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • circle k 2723906, enterprise
  • crossroad marathon, elba
  • elba food mart, elba
  • elba travel center, elba
  • express lane, enterprise
  • flowers bakery outlet 101, enterprise
  • kountry korner, jack
  • legacy foodmart 4, enterprise
  • legacy foodmart 6, enterprise
  • legacy foodmart 7 7, kinston
  • legacy travel center, enterprise
  • manila asian food store, enterprise
  • murphy usa 5690, enterprise
  • quickstop, enterprise
  • roadrunner, enterprise
  • scott's food mart, elba
  • stop n go 1, enterprise
  • sunstop 606, enterprise
  • sunstop 608, enterprise
  • sunstop 611, new brockton
  • the pepi companies - pepi foods r124, jack
  • tom thumb 900136, enterprise
  • ztec elba, elba

Combination Grocery/Other · 22

  • cvs pharmacy 10076, enterprise
  • dollar general 11007, enterprise
  • dollar general 13913, kinston
  • dollar general 3184, elba
  • dollar general 12101, new brockton
  • dollar general 12951, enterprise
  • dollar general 13590, enterprise
  • dollar general 17457, elba
  • dollar general 20125, new brockton
  • dollar general 20201, enterprise
  • dollar general 21633, enterprise
  • dollar general 22775, enterprise
  • dollar general 25785, enterprise
  • dollar general 25844, elba
  • dollar general 3053, enterprise
  • dollar general 826, enterprise
  • dollar general store 17331, jack
  • dollar tree 3240, enterprise
  • dollar tree 678, elba
  • family dollar 12970, enterprise
  • southern traders 3111, enterprise
  • walgreens 09256, enterprise

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 82096, enterprise
  • food giant 638, elba
  • piggly wiggly, enterprise
  • piggly wiggly 216, enterprise
  • publix 1402, enterprise

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • el paisano supermarket, enterprise
  • morales supermarket 1, enterprise
  • tienda marquense guatemala llc 1, enterprise

Super Store · 3

  • grocery advantage, enterprise
  • grocery outlet 7704, enterprise
  • walmart s/c 734, enterprise

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • carniceria specialty meats, enterprise

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Alabama

Autauga County
33.9% low-access · 9.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
25.1% low-access · 6.7% SNAP
Barbour County
20.5% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bibb County
1.6% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Blount County
6.8% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Bullock County
68.5% low-access · 34.0% SNAP

Compare Coffee County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →

Food access nationally, Alabama in context

Coffee County sits inside Alabama (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 Coffee County has low food access? ▼
32.2% of residents in Coffee County, AL 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 Coffee County? ▼
11.5% of households in Coffee County receive SNAP, covering 2,417 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Coffee County? ▼
The poverty rate in Coffee County, AL is 16.7%, with a median household income of $68,353 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Coffee County a food desert? ▼
2 of Coffee County's 14 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 Coffee County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Coffee 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.