County food-access profile · North Carolina
Columbus County, NC
Columbus County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 8.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 22.6%
- on SNAP
- 50K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.2% of Columbus County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.2%
- 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).
Columbus County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.2% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,773 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,134 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 Columbus County compares nationally
Columbus County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.2% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,629).
Columbus County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Columbus County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Columbus County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Columbus 8.2
Columbus County, NC
8.2 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 58,098 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,773 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,134 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 50,140 |
| Median Household Income | $49,442 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,531 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 22.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.5% |
About 22.6% of Columbus County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 22.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,531 households here.
- 5.5% 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 Columbus County
near the national share
1 of Columbus County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.
An estimated 4,773 residents, roughly 8.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,134 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (92.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Columbus County
Columbus County has 80 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 30 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 30
- circle k 2706994, jacksonville
- delco mart, delco
- fair bluff shop n save, fair bluff
- han-dee hugo's 1, rieglewood
- home run mart, lake waccamaw
- logan mart, chadbourn
- minuteman food mart 20, whiteville
- minuteman food mart 21, whiteville
- minuteman food mart 22, tabor city
- minuteman food mart 46, whiteville
- minuteman food mart 48, whiteville
- minuteman food mart 50, whiteville
- minuteman food mart 58, delco
- minuteman food mart 64, whiteville
- murphy usa 7733, whiteville
- nc 410 travel centre, chadbourn
- nakina shop n save, nakina
- quick mart, riegelwood
- sundo kwik shop-boardman, evergreen
- sam's pit stop #60, bolton
- sam's pit stop 61, chadbourn
- sam's pit stop 64, hallsboro
- sam's pit stop, inc. 62, lake waccamaw
- sam's pit stop, inc. 67, whiteville
- sams pit stop 63, whiteville
- service plus 1, whiteville
- sidney service mart, clarendon
- sun-do whiteville travel plaza, whiteville
- the millie mart, whiteville
- williams country kitchen, whiteville
Combination Grocery/Other · 27
- cvs pharmacy 7570, whiteville
- dollar general 18407, whiteville
- dollar general 4906, tabor city
- dollar general 4942, chadbourn
- dollar general 6017, whiteville
- dollar general 6530, delco
- dollar general 9150, lake waccamaw
- dollar general 17617, whiteville
- dollar general 18773, whiteville
- dollar general 20600, fair bluff
- dollar general 22881, evergreen
- dollar general 23314, tabor city
- dollar general 23400, whiteville
- dollar general 23686, tabor city
- dollar general 24351, bolton
- dollar general 24975, cerro gordo
- dollar general 25228, hallsboro
- dollar tree 409, whiteville
- family dollar store 4237, whiteville
- family dollar 12184, cerro gordo
- family dollar 827, chadbourn
- family dollar store 71, tabor city
- family dollar store 7759, riegelwood
- ray's seafood & produce, llc, whiteville
- river town market, fair bluff
- roses 608, whiteville
- walgreens 09898, whiteville
Supermarket · 10
- food lion 1073, chadbourn
- food lion 1606, whiteville
- food lion 1694, tabor city
- food lion 2526, whiteville
- fresh foods 11, clarkton
- fresh foods 14, chadbourn
- hills food store #1 1, whiteville
- hills food store #18 18, whiteville
- hills food store #3 3, lake waccamaw
- tabor city iga 640, tabor city
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 3
- bellamy's produce & seafood, tabor city
- livingston creek farmers harvest and eatery llc, bolton
- robinson produce, whiteville
Small Grocery Store · 3
- pierce & co general store llc, hallsboro
- sagrado corazon tienda mexicana, delco
- tienda latina la bendicion, whiteville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- bullard's meats, cerro gordo
- nieman market #001, whiteville
Seafood Specialty · 2
- hall seafood, whiteville
- yahyah seafood llc, chadbourn
Large Grocery Store · 1
- fowler's supermarket, tabor city
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- bargain snatchers, whiteville
Super Store · 1
- walmart s/c 1268, whiteville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Columbus County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Columbus County sits inside North Carolina (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 Columbus County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Columbus County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Columbus County? ▼
Is Columbus County a food desert? ▼
What share of Columbus 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.