PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Dare County, NC

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Dare 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).

35.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
5.1%
on SNAP
38K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

35.6% of Dare County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
2.7%
households, no vehicle
6.6%
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 Dare County's low-access share at 35.6%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,087 people. 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 Dare County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Dare County's 35.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #570 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Dare County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Dare County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Dare County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 5 tracts limited (55.6%) Adequate 44% Limited 56% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Dare County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Dare County vs. other North Carolina counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Dare County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,920
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population12,087
Low-Access Share35.6%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,885

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Dare County
IndicatorValue
Population37,875
Median Household Income$88,994
Poverty Rate6.6%well below the national average
SNAP Households851
SNAP Participation Rate5.1%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.6%
SNAP participation in Dare County 5.1%

About 5.1% of Dare County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 35.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 851 households here.
  • 2.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $88,994 with a 6.6% 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 Dare County

above the national share

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 12,087 residents, roughly 35.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,885 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Dare County

Dare County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 7 eleven 37316, nags head
  • 7-eleven #19847b 19847b, kill devil hills
  • 7-eleven 19919h, manteo
  • 7-eleven 24554j, kitty hawk
  • 7-eleven #19971b 19971b, nags head
  • 7-eleven #38936a 38936a, kitty hawk
  • circle k 2720872, kill devil hills
  • circle k 2723853, kill devil hills
  • circle k 2723854, kill devil hills
  • duck thru food store 23, manteo
  • duck thru food store 45, wanchese
  • duck thru food store 46, manteo
  • han-dee hugo's 22, kitty hawk
  • han-dee hugo's 23, kitty hawk
  • han-dee hugo's 6, kitty hawk
  • la mexicana mini mart, kill devil hills
  • speedway 8280, manteo
  • wawa store 6100, kill devil hills
  • whites shopping center, manns harbor

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs pharmacy 3112, kitty hawk
  • cvs pharmacy 7361, kill devil hills
  • cvs pharmacy 5545, manteo
  • dollar tree 2528, nags head
  • dollar general 15442, manteo
  • dollar general 15448, waves
  • dollar general 17182, buxton
  • dollar tree 1306, kill devil hills
  • family dollar store 2472, manteo
  • walgreens 17516, kitty hawk
  • walgreens 7476, kill devil hills

Supermarket · 9

  • conner's cape hatteras supermarke, buxton
  • food lion 1274, southern shores
  • food lion 1532, kill devil hills
  • food lion 2503, nags head
  • food lion 2154, nags head
  • food lion 685, avon
  • piggly wiggly 25, manteo
  • publix 1615, kill devil hills
  • the fresh market 188, nags head

Super Store · 5

  • food a rama iga #3193, manteo
  • harris teeter 175, kill devil hills
  • harris teeter 387, kitty hawk
  • target store t3414, kill devil hills
  • walmart 2000, kitty hawk

Farmers' Market · 1

  • secotan market, wanchese

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • outland seafood, manns harbor

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Dare County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Dare County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Dare County has low food access? ▼
35.6% of residents in Dare County, NC live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dare County? ▼
5.1% of households in Dare County receive SNAP, covering 851 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Dare County? ▼
The poverty rate in Dare County, NC is 6.6%, with a median household income of $88,994 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Dare County a food desert? ▼
0 of Dare County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Dare County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.7% of households in Dare County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.