County food-access profile · Georgia
Coffee County, GA
Most of Coffee County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 7.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 20.0%
- on SNAP
- 43K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.2% of Coffee County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 6.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 23.1%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Coffee County fares better than most: just 7.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 9 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,064 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,196 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
Food access in Coffee County compares favorably nationally: its 7.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,698).
Coffee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 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).
Coffee County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Coffee 7.2
Coffee County, GA
7.2 % 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 | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 42,356 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,064 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,196 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 43,347 |
| Median Household Income | $50,683 |
| Poverty Rate | 23.1%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,067 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 20.0%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.1% |
About 20.0% of Coffee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 20.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,067 households here.
- 6.9% 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
below the national share
2 of Coffee County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,064 residents, roughly 7.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,196 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Coffee County
Coffee County has 72 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 39 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 39
- 1st choice, broxton
- 1st choice, douglas
- ambrose food mart, ambrose
- baker express, douglas
- circle k 2707332, nicholls
- circle k 2707337, douglas
- evans grocery 1, douglas
- flash foods 2745043, douglas
- fairway foods, west green
- fast check food, douglas
- flash foods llc 274177, douglas
- food mart, nicholls
- four point food mart, douglas
- gate service station 229, douglas
- gurthrie's food mart, willacoochee
- holts bakery inc, douglas
- in & out food n gas, douglas
- jay narayani group llc, broxton
- jet food store 80, douglas
- jet food store 81, douglas
- jet food store 82, douglas
- jet food store 85, nicholls
- jet food stores 94, douglas
- mack's minit mart 1, douglas
- marathon 1, douglas
- marianitas 2, douglas
- mr t's, douglas
- murphy usa 5752, douglas
- nouria 1601 ocila highway 741, douglas
- nouria 29 willacoochee highway 757, douglas
- quick change, douglas
- quick gas, douglas
- quickchange of baymeadows, douglas
- ricky food mart, nicholls
- satilla county junction, douglas
- solar food 21, douglas
- solar food 27, douglas
- sunrise express, nicholls
- t & r food mart, douglas
Combination Grocery/Other · 18
- cvs pharmacy 4552, douglas
- dollar general 21619, douglas
- dollar general 4789, douglas
- dollar general 8044, broxton
- dollar general 8205, douglas
- dollar general 8269, douglas
- dollar general 9050, west green
- dollar general 15536, douglas
- dollar general 17406, ambrose
- dollar general 20437, douglas
- dollar general 21422, douglas
- dollar general 22282, douglas
- dollar general 23885, douglas
- dollar general 31166, douglas
- dollar tree 2812, douglas
- family dollar 8959, nicholls
- family dollar store 215, douglas
- walgreens 11661, douglas
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- angeles mexican store, douglas
- broxton butcher block, broxton
- broxton grocery, broxton
- la bonita market, douglas
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- douglas quality meats, douglas
- kicks meats, nicholls
- meat master butchery 1, douglas
Super Store · 3
- harveys supermarket 1601, douglas
- harveys supermarket 1639, douglas
- walmart 593, douglas
Supermarket · 2
- cost kutter 496, douglas
- publix super markets, inc. 1870, douglas
Large Grocery Store · 1
- mickey's food store, douglas
Seafood Specialty · 1
- benton poultry & seafood llc, douglas
Small Grocery Store · 1
- tienda mexicana el milagro, douglas
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Coffee County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Coffee 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 Coffee County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Coffee County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Coffee County? ▼
Is Coffee County a food desert? ▼
What share of Coffee 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.