County food-access profile · Tennessee
Cumberland County, TN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cumberland County 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).
- 26.9%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 11.3%
- on SNAP
- 64K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
26.9% of Cumberland County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 4.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.4%
- 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 Cumberland County's low-access share at 26.9%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,060 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,122 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 Cumberland County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cumberland County's 26.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 63% of them and ranked #1,157 most-affected nationwide.
Cumberland County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Cumberland County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cumberland County vs. other Tennessee counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee
- Cumberland
Cumberland County, TN
26.9 % low-access
- Anderson 10.9
Anderson County, TN
10.9 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, TN
23 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, TN
12.6 % low-access
- Bledsoe 4.7
Bledsoe County, TN
4.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount County, TN
30.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 56,053 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,060 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,122 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 63,553 |
| Median Household Income | $60,375 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,191 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 11.3% of Cumberland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 26.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,191 households here.
- 4.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Cumberland County
above the national share
4 of Cumberland County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.
An estimated 15,060 residents, roughly 26.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,122 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cumberland County
Cumberland County has 71 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 39 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 39
- 101 food mart, crossville
- 7-eleven 41863h, crossville
- am express 1, crossville
- circle k 4703620, crossville
- d n d 1, crossville
- eagle market, crossville
- eco travel plaza, crossville
- elite 03 inc, crossville
- elite 1 inc, crossville
- elite 5, crossville
- flowers bakery outlet 528, crossville
- gas xpress, crossville
- happy sak exxon, crossville
- homestead market, crossville
- jackson mart of crossville, crossville
- kwik stop, crossville
- lake tansi market, crossville
- liberty market, crab orchard
- little brads convenience, crossville
- mayland market-a, crossville
- miller mart, crossville
- miller mart main street, crossville
- motiram inc, crossville
- murphy usa 5594, crossville
- orchard foodmart, crab orchard
- pilot travel center 114, crossville
- pleasant hill market, crossville
- pomona market, crossville
- rocky top market 936, rockwood
- route 70 market, crossville
- sawmill market, crossville
- speedway 7128, crossville
- speedway 7158, crossville
- susie's food market, rockwood
- vandever grocery, crossville
- volunteer gasoline, crossville
- weigel's 1076, crossville
- weigel's 87, crossville
- woodmere exxon, crossville
Combination Grocery/Other · 23
- cvs pharmacy 4479, crossville
- dollar general 14596, crossville
- dollar general 19389, crossville
- dollar general 19465, crossville
- dollar general 2450, crossville
- dollar general 3926, crossville
- dollar general 573, crossville
- dollartree 9875, crossville
- dollar general 12611, pleasant hill
- dollar general 12671, crossville
- dollar general 16001, crossville
- dollar general 16115, crossville
- dollar general 19741, crossville
- dollar general 19907, crossville
- dollar general 20229, crab orchard
- dollar general 23168, crossville
- dollar general 25540, crossville
- dollar general 25878, crossville
- dollar general 30682, rockwood
- dollar general store 17374, crossville
- dollar tree 302, crossville
- dollar tree 6696, crossville
- walgreen 06223, crossville
Supermarket · 5
- crossville save-a-lot grocery 22604, crossville
- food city 656, crossville
- food city 662, crossville
- grocery outlet 11, crossville
- price less iga 495, crossville
Super Store · 3
- dollar general market 12008, crossville
- kroger co #00599-d 599, crossville
- walmart supercenter 687, crossville
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- smith family produce, crossville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Compare Cumberland County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
Cumberland County sits inside Tennessee (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 Cumberland County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cumberland County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cumberland County? ▼
Is Cumberland County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cumberland 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.