Signature · 5.1% SNAP (0th pct in NC)
Dare County, NC
Dare County sits in the upper national band on low-access (35.6%, +13.5 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 35.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.1%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Dare County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 35.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +13.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Caldwell County ( -0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Dare County sits in the upper national band (35.6%, #567 of 3,079).
- #567
- national by low-access %
- #6
- in NC
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 5.1% SNAP (0th pct in NC) (-7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
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.
Dare County's elevated USDA tier split
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Dare County has 5 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Dare County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Dare
Dare 35.6%
35.6 % low-access
- Caldwell
Caldwell 35.1%
35.1 % low-access
- Chowan
Chowan 35.1%
35.1 % low-access
- Craven
Craven 34.4%
34.4 % low-access
- Carteret
Carteret 33.2%
33.2 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 33,920 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,087 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,885 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,875 |
| Median Household Income | $88,994 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 851 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Dare County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Dare County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Dare County (5.1%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside North Carolina.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (35.6% here).
- Bandera County, TX · 35.6% low-access
- Bandera County, TX · 35.6% low-access
- Washington County, UT · 35.6% low-access
- Washington County, UT · 35.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (5.1% here).
- Jefferson County, MT · 5.1% SNAP
- Jefferson County, MT · 5.1% SNAP
- Parker County, TX · 5.1% SNAP
- Parker County, TX · 5.1% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Dare County inside a higher low-access state context
Dare County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Dare County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37055. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.