County food-access profile · North Carolina
Currituck County, NC
Most of Currituck County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 1.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.8%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
1.5% of Currituck County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 109
- food-desert residents
- 2.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.5%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Currituck County fares better than most: just 1.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 7 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 357 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Currituck County compares nationally
Food access in Currituck County compares favorably nationally: its 1.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 5% of them (rank #2,989).
Currituck County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Currituck County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Currituck County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Currituck 1.5
Currituck County, NC
1.5 % 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 | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,547 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 357 |
| Low-Access Share | 1.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 109 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 30,601 |
| Median Household Income | $93,511 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 686 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.3% |
About 5.8% of Currituck County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 1.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 686 households here.
- 2.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $93,511 with a 7.5% poverty rate.
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 Currituck County
below the national share
An estimated 357 residents, roughly 1.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 109 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
None of Currituck County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.
SNAP retailers in Currituck County
Currituck County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 11 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 19526, point harbor
- dollar general 8763, grandy
- dollar general 9446, moyock
- dollartree 10997, currituck
- dollartree 9597, grandy
- dollar general 16672, currituck
- dollar general 20253, knotts island
- dollar general 22990, barco
- dollar tree 1278, moyock
- family dollar store 5036, grandy
- seaside farm market, corolla
Convenience Store · 11
- 7-eleven #42116a 42116a, moyock
- 7-eleven 20996, barco
- currituck meat market, barco
- duck thru food store 25, grandy
- duck thru food store 28, moyock
- duck thru food store 29, moyock
- duck thru food store 36, grandy
- han-dee hugo's 17, grandy
- han-dee hugo's 20, point harbor
- joe's kwik marts 6015, powells point
- royal farms 443, grandy
Supermarket · 3
- food lion 1042, moyock
- food lion 1220, grandy
- food lion 937, corolla
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- tarheel jr, grandy
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- knotts island market, knotts island
Seafood Specialty · 1
- frog island seafood, barco
Super Store · 1
- harris teeter 266, corolla
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Currituck County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Currituck 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 Currituck County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Currituck County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Currituck County? ▼
Is Currituck County a food desert? ▼
What share of Currituck 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.