PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Colleton County, SC

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

38.0%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
23.4%
on SNAP
39K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

38.0% of Colleton County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
10.4%
households, no vehicle
19.6%
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 Colleton County's low-access share at 38.0%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,775 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,061 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 Colleton County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Colleton County's 38.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #485 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Colleton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Colleton 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 Colleton County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (33.3%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (44.4%) Adequate 33% Limited 22% Severe 44% Food-access tier distribution: Colleton County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Colleton County vs. other South Carolina counties

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

% 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 Colleton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,892
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population14,775
Low-Access Share38.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,061

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Colleton County
IndicatorValue
Population38,783
Median Household Income$51,114
Poverty Rate19.6%above the national average
SNAP Households3,837
SNAP Participation Rate23.4%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.4%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Colleton County 23.4%

About 23.4% of Colleton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 38.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 23.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,837 households here.
  • 10.4% 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 Colleton County

above the national share

4 of Colleton 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 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 14,775 residents, roughly 38.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 7,061 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Colleton County

Colleton County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • cottageville express, cottageville
  • circle k 2723876, round o
  • cottageville fuel stop, cottageville
  • crosco express 2, green pond
  • kk mart, jacksonboro
  • murphy usa 7260, walterboro
  • nouria 101 palmetto boulevard 891, edisto island
  • nouria 1539 bells highway 880, walterboro
  • nouria 1796 snider highway 869, walterboro
  • nouria 3304 robertson boulevard 874, walterboro
  • nouria 775 bells highway 870, walterboro
  • pak a sak too, walterboro
  • parker's 73, walterboro
  • pump market, walterboro
  • quick store 4, smoaks
  • quiktrip 7134, walterboro
  • r & m convenience store llc, yemassee
  • roadside grocery, yemassee
  • s&g grocery, lodge
  • speedy express, walterboro
  • stop n go, walterboro
  • stopngo express, walterboro
  • the forks pit stop, walterboro

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • bells seafood, walterboro
  • cvs pharmacy 3585, walterboro
  • dollar general 3162, walterboro
  • dollar general 4862, walterboro
  • dollar general 7560, cottageville
  • dollar general 9260, walterboro
  • dollar general 15480, walterboro
  • dollar general 21695, walterboro
  • dollar general 22368, ruffin
  • dollar general 25650, walterboro
  • dollar general store 17093, jacksonboro
  • dollar tree 3543, walterboro
  • family dollar 12162, cottageville
  • family dollar 12234, ruffin
  • family dollar 136, walterboro
  • family dollar 6212, walterboro
  • walgreens 09284, walterboro

Supermarket · 3

  • food lion 2802, walterboro
  • food lion 2838, edisto island
  • h&d supermarket 25, walterboro

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • baker's shrimp, walterboro
  • williams seafood, walterboro

Super Store · 2

  • walmart supercenter 1358, walterboro
  • walterboro iga, walterboro

Farmers' Market · 1

  • colleton museum and farmers market, walterboro

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • walterboro cash and carry, walterboro

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Colleton County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Colleton County sits inside South Carolina (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 Colleton County has low food access? ▼
38.0% of residents in Colleton County, SC 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 Colleton County? ▼
23.4% of households in Colleton County receive SNAP, covering 3,837 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Colleton County? ▼
The poverty rate in Colleton County, SC is 19.6%, with a median household income of $51,114 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Colleton County a food desert? ▼
4 of Colleton 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 Colleton County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.4% of households in Colleton 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.