County food-access profile · Alabama
Covington County, AL
Covington 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.
- 12.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 14.2%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
12.9% of Covington County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 6.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.2%
- 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).
Covington County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.9% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,878 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,070 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 Covington County compares nationally
Covington County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.9% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,281).
Covington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Covington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Covington County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- Covington 12.9
Covington County, AL
12.9 % low-access
- Autauga
Autauga County, AL
33.9 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, AL
25.1 % low-access
- Barbour
Barbour County, AL
20.5 % low-access
- Bibb 1.6
Bibb County, AL
1.6 % low-access
- Blount 6.8
Blount County, AL
6.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 37,765 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,878 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,070 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,628 |
| Median Household Income | $52,456 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,082 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 14.2% of Covington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 12.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,082 households here.
- 6.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Covington County
near the national share
3 of Covington County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.4% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 4,878 residents, roughly 12.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,070 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Covington County
Covington County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 38 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 38
- babbie one stop, andalusia
- bobcat den, opp
- bravo # 10, andalusia
- bravo # 15 yes, andalusia
- bravo # 16, andalusia
- bravo #11 11, andalusia
- bravo #12 12, andalusia
- bravo #13 13, florala
- bravo #14 14, mc kenzie
- carolina 2, andalusia
- carolina inc, opp
- cenergy 1, andalusia
- cenergy 2, andalusia
- cenergy 3, florala
- cenergy 4, andalusia
- dallas henderson's grocery, andalusia
- express lane 2, andalusia
- express lane 3, andalusia
- express mart 5, andalusia
- express mart 8, opp
- finnway express 501, opp
- florala convenience store, florala
- froggy's corner store, andalusia
- gitty up-n-go 12, andalusia
- gitty up-n-go 5, andalusia
- gitty up-n-go #11 11, andalusia
- gitty up-n-go 1, andalusia
- gitty up-n-go 8, andalusia
- hari grocery llc, florala
- legacy foodmart 2, kinston
- murphy usa 7394, andalusia
- southern market, opp
- sunstop 612, andalusia
- sunoco, opp
- tiger quick stop, andalusia
- tom thumb 900064, opp
- trisha 22 llc, andalusia
- vinnys stop and go, andalusia
Combination Grocery/Other · 20
- cvs pharmacy 7077, andalusia
- dollar general 18459, opp
- dollar general 3093, andalusia
- dollar general 3297, opp
- dollar general 5722, florala
- dollartree 10480, andalusia
- dollartree 9864, opp
- dollar general 12261, red level
- dollar general 12534, gantt
- dollar general 22171, opp
- dollar general 30917, andalusia
- dollar general 4027, andalusia
- dollar general 8693, andalusia
- dollar general store 17393, andalusia
- dollar tree 4637, andalusia
- family dollar 13709, andalusia
- family dollar store 439, opp
- family dollar store 682, florala
- walgreens 19052, opp
- walgreens 19608, andalusia
Super Store · 4
- farmers iga foodliner, opp
- grocery outlet 7711, opp
- piggly wiggly of andalusia llc 73, andalusia
- walmart supercenter 1091, andalusia
Supermarket · 2
- pic n save 620, andalusia
- piggly wiggly 614, florala
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- maples market, andalusia
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare Covington County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
Covington County sits inside Alabama (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 Covington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Covington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Covington County? ▼
Is Covington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Covington 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.