PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Colonial Heights city, VA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Colonial Heights city 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).

22.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
13.1%
on SNAP
18K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

22.7% of Colonial Heights city residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
903
food-desert residents
6.8%
households, no vehicle
7.9%
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 Colonial Heights city's low-access share at 22.7%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 3,951 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 903 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 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.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Colonial Heights city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 census tracts in Colonial Heights city, 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 Colonial Heights city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (60.0%) 1 tracts limited (20.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 20% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Colonial Heights city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Colonial Heights city vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Colonial Heights city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)17,411
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,951
Low-Access Share22.7%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population903

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Colonial Heights city
IndicatorValue
Population18,352
Median Household Income$76,505
Poverty Rate7.9%well below the national average
SNAP Households983
SNAP Participation Rate13.1%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Colonial Heights city 13.1%

About 13.1% of Colonial Heights city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 983 households here.
  • 6.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Colonial Heights city

above the national share

1 of Colonial Heights city's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 3,951 residents, roughly 22.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 903 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

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 retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Colonial Heights city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Colonial Heights city sits inside Virginia (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 Colonial Heights city has low food access? ▼
22.7% of residents in Colonial Heights city, VA 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 Colonial Heights city? ▼
13.1% of households in Colonial Heights city receive SNAP, covering 983 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Colonial Heights city? ▼
The poverty rate in Colonial Heights city, VA is 7.9%, with a median household income of $76,505 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Colonial Heights city a food desert? ▼
1 of Colonial Heights city's 5 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 Colonial Heights city households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.8% of households in Colonial Heights city 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.