Signature · 1 LILA tracts (20% of tracts)
Colonial Heights city, VA
Colonial Heights city's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (20% of the book) alongside 22.7% low-access.
- 22.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Colonial Heights city, VA
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 22.7% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.6 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Suffolk city ( -0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Colonial Heights city ranks #1,466 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #46 of 123 counties in VA (22.7% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,466
- national by low-access %
- #46
- in VA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 903
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (20% of tracts) .
How Colonial Heights city compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Colonial Heights city's 22.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,469 most-affected nationwide.
Colonial Heights city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Colonial Heights city has 5 urban and 0 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Colonial Heights city low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Newport News … 23.2
Newport News … 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Portsmouth ci… 23.1
Portsmouth ci… 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Colonial Heig… 22.7
Colonial Heig… 22.7%
22.7 % low-access
- Suffolk city 22.4
Suffolk city 22.4%
22.4 % low-access
- Roanoke 22.2
Roanoke 22.2%
22.2 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,411 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,951 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 903 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,352 |
| Median Household Income | $76,505 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 983 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
SNAP retailers in Colonial Heights city
Colonial Heights city has 25 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- 7-eleven 11062a, colonial heights
- boulevard exxon, colonial heights
- circle k 2723109, colonial heights
- flowers bakery outlet 377, colonial heights
- pilot travel center 384, colonial heights
- royal farms 446, colonial heights
- royal farms 469, colonial heights
- sheetz 321, colonial heights
- wawa 693, colonial heights
- wawa 8624, colonial heights
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 1542, colonial hghts
- dollar tree 63, colonial heights
- dollar general 25585, colonial heights
- dollar general 3078, colonial heights
- dollar tree 1006, colonial heights
- family dollar 1493, colonial heights
- walgreens 04921, colonial heights
Super Store · 3
- sam's club 6524, colonial heights
- target store 1016, colonial heights
- walmart supercenter 1424, colonial heights
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 56, colonial heights
- food lion 545, colonial heights
- publix 1594, colonial heights
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- goodness & mercy international food market, colonial heights
- rosita's tienda & pupuseria 1, colonial heights
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Colonial Heights city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Colonial Heights city's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Colonial Heights city, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (22.7% here).
- Bedford County, PA · 22.7% low-access
- Bedford County, PA · 22.7% low-access
- Rowan County, NC · 22.7% low-access
- Rowan County, NC · 22.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (13.1% here).
- Lincoln County, WI · 13.1% SNAP
- Lincoln County, WI · 13.1% SNAP
- Sullivan County, TN · 13.1% SNAP
- Sullivan County, TN · 13.1% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Colonial Heights city sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Colonial Heights city, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51570. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.