County food-access profile · Alabama
Cullman County, AL
Cullman 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.
- 8.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 10.0%
- on SNAP
- 91K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.4% of Cullman County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 3.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.3%
- 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).
Cullman County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 18 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,772 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,287 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 Cullman County compares nationally
Cullman County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.4% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,614).
Cullman County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 census tracts in Cullman County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cullman County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- Cullman 8.4
Cullman County, AL
8.4 % 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 | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 80,406 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,772 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.4%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,287 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 90,566 |
| Median Household Income | $62,656 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,531 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 10.0% of Cullman County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,531 households here.
- 3.2% 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 Cullman County
near the national share
1 of Cullman County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.6% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 6,772 residents, roughly 8.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,287 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 15 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cullman County
Cullman County has 86 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 41 locations (48% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 41
- big lots 3274, cullman
- cvs pharmacy 4960, hanceville
- cvs pharmacy 10416, cullman
- cvs pharmacy 4902, cullman
- dollar general 0044, cullman
- dollar general 10884, cullman
- dollar general 11184, cullman
- dollar general 18460, cullman
- dollar general 18646, cullman
- dollar general 19566, cullman
- dollar general 19783, garden city
- dollar general 2190, cullman
- dollar general 6138, baileyton
- dollar general 6623, cullman
- dollar general 9190, holly pond
- dollar general 9404, cullman
- dollar general 9500, cullman
- dollar general 9554, hanceville
- dollartree 8504, cullman
- dollar general 11250, cullman
- dollar general 11537, crane hill
- dollar general 12143, cullman
- dollar general 14825, cullman
- dollar general 14895, bremen
- dollar general 15179, cullman
- dollar general 15211, cullman
- dollar general 17468, arab
- dollar general 20150, vinemont
- dollar general 20739, vinemont
- dollar general 20778, hanceville
- dollar general 22440, cullman
- dollar general 22865, cullman
- dollar general 23663, hanceville
- dollar general 8701, cullman
- dollar tree 4738, hanceville
- dollar tree 881, cullman
- el milagro tienda mexicana, cullman
- family dollar 12815, cullman
- family dollar 13847, cullman
- walgreens 11180, cullman
- walgreens 15205, cullman
Convenience Store · 28
- 278 foodmart, cullman
- 278 rock gas and grocery, cullman
- 291 foodmart, hanceville
- 4 way quick stop 1, joppa
- bryant's jet pep, arab
- circle k 2704889, cullman
- catoma mart, cullman
- country mall convenience and hdwe, crane hill
- crossroad foodmart, logan
- cullman shell, cullman
- cullman123 inc, vinemont
- dodge city chevron, hanceville
- five points food mart, cullman
- garden city chevron, garden city
- hanceville exxon 1, hanceville
- jet pep 21, hanceville
- jet pep 56, cullman
- love's travel stop 877, cullman
- marathon 19, cullman
- mk market inc, cullman
- murphy usa 6770, cullman
- petro dodge city 485, hanceville
- pilot travel center 1550, good hope
- quick stop, cullman
- quiktrip 7182, cullman
- tiger mart, cullman
- trimble super saver, cullman
- whitlock general store & cafe, cullman
Super Store · 6
- dollar general market 13195, hanceville
- s & s foods dodge city, hanceville
- walmart s/c 670, cullman
- walmart supercenter 7280, cullman
- warehouse discount grocery 817, cullman
- warehouse discount grocery 818, hanceville
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 70039, cullman
- hopper family market, cullman
- publix 1503, cullman
- s & s foods, holly pond
- warehouse discount grocery 819, cullman
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- brickyard meat processing, cullman
- orizaba super market llc, cullman
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza al010, cullman
Farmers' Market · 1
- spradlin farm, vinemont
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- glover's produce, cullman
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the butcher meat co., cullman
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare Cullman County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
Cullman 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 Cullman County has low food access? ▼
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Is Cullman County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cullman 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.