County food-access profile · North Carolina
Davidson County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Davidson 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).
- 25.2%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 173K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.2% of Davidson County residents live in a low-access area, and 7 of its 34 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 15
- low-access tracts
- 16K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.8%
- 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 Davidson County's low-access share at 25.2%, above the national share. 15 of the county's 34 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 41,121 people. 7 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 15,547 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 Davidson County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Davidson County's 25.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,282 most-affected nationwide.
Davidson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 34 census tracts in Davidson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Davidson County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Davidson
Davidson County, NC
25.2 % 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 | 34 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 162,878 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 15 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 7 |
| Low-Access Population | 41,121 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 15,547 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 172,954 |
| Median Household Income | $64,172 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,151 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 13.1% of Davidson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,151 households here.
- 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 7 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 Davidson County
above the national share
7 of Davidson County's 34 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.6% of all its tracts.
A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 15.
An estimated 41,121 residents, roughly 25.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 15,547 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 19 tracts (55.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Davidson County
Davidson County has 159 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 69 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 69
- 7-eleven #42315a 42315a, lexington
- bill's truck stop inc, linwood
- bizzy bee, high point
- cals mini mart, lexington
- campbell's mini mart, thomasville
- circle k 1493, lexington
- circle k 2723955, thomasville
- cotton grove food mart, lexington
- cross road curb market, thomasville
- crossroad mart 2, lexington
- duke's mart, thomasville
- erlanger exxon, lexington
- food mart, thomasville
- fairway one stop #15, thomasville
- fairway one stop 14, thomasville
- fast fuel, thomasville
- fast stop, thomasville
- gfm global corporation llc, thomasville
- giddy kwik mart, thomasville
- gordon's general store, thomasville
- grab n go#13, lexington
- han-dee hugo's 205, lexington
- han-dee hugo's 220, lexington
- hedricks grove country store, lexington
- j&s mart, lexington
- jol food mart, thomasville
- kwik stop, lexington
- kellys high rock 220, lexington
- lexington mobil 205, lexington
- mimi's mini mart, lexington
- marathon food mart 204, lexington
- marts to go, thomasville
- marts to go, lexington
- mast food mart, lexington
- michaels grocery llc, lexington
- mobil mart, denton
- mom & pop mini mart inc, thomasville
- murphy usa 6808, thomasville
- naira food mart 2 llc, lexington
- naira food mart 3 llc, thomasville
- new country food mart, lexington
- old country store, denton
- one stop food mart, thomasville
- pantry shop 5, thomasville
- parker mart, lexington
- patriot market, lexington
- pick & go, thomasville
- pickett food mart 1, lexington
- pit stop, winston salem
- quality mart 30 1520, lexington
- quality mart 42 1142, clemmons
- rapidfuel, lexington
- santillans store llc, thomasville
- sheetz 495, lexington
- sheetz 566, thomasville
- sheetz 569, lexington
- sheetz 586, thomasville
- speed mart, thomasville
- speedway 7926, thomasville
- speedway 7927, thomasville
- speedway 7928, lexington
- stop & shop, winston salem
- stop n shop, thomasville
- t & t market, lexington
- thrifty stop, lexington
- tj mart, lexington
- trading post, denton
- welcome food mart, welcome
- zoom fuel stop, thomasville
Combination Grocery/Other · 56
- big lots 3207, lexington
- cvs pharmacy 4284, thomasville
- cvs pharmacy 4294, lexington
- cvs pharmacy 7328, denton
- dollar general 10088, clemmons
- dollar general 11079, thomasville
- dollar general 18326, lexington
- dollar general 1976, thomasville
- dollar general 2932, lexington
- dollar general 3063, lexington
- dollar general 3472, lexington
- dollar general 3977, winston salem
- dollar general 4234, welcome
- dollar general 7421, lexington
- dollar general 8606, lexington
- dollar general 8739, winston salem
- dollar general 9307, denton
- dollar general 9866, lexington
- dollar tree 2037, thomasville
- dollar tree 2756, lexington
- dollartree 9711, thomasville
- dollartree 9804, lexington
- dollar general 13353, thomasville
- dollar general 13484, thomasville
- dollar general 20187, lexington
- dollar general 20827, linwood
- dollar general 21062, lexington
- dollar general 21902, thomasville
- dollar general 22465, lexington
- dollar general 22503, thomasville
- dollar general 2352, thomasville
- dollar general 23957, lexington
- dollar general 30100, denton
- dollar general 30146, lexington
- dollar general 30370, lexington
- dollar general 30689, lexington
- dollar tree 5487, thomasville
- dollar tree 6031, lexington
- dollar tree 8613, thomasville
- family dollar 10907, welcome
- family dollar 20, lexington
- family dollar 663, denton
- family dollar 6844, thomasville
- family dollar 8594, thomasville
- family dollar store 7413, thomasville
- marcos dried peppers llc, thomasville
- olde world meat market, winston salem
- roberts farm market, denton
- save a buck, llc, lexington
- the bargain den inc, dba hometown market place, thomasville
- wagreens 10090, winston salem
- walgreens 07280, thomasville
- walgreens 11340, lexington
- walgreens 12437, lexington
- walgreens 18367, lexington
- whachagot discounts, thomasville
Supermarket · 16
- aldi 60007 60007, thomasville
- aldi 66082, lexington
- compare foods, lexington
- food lion 122, lexington
- food lion 1407, winston salem
- food lion 1522, winston salem
- food lion 1569, thomasville
- food lion 1575, lexington
- food lion 2596, thomasville
- food lion 515, lexington
- food lion 554, welcome
- food lion 924, lexington
- food lion 2126, lexington
- food lion 2673, thomasville
- ingles markets 6, thomasville
- lowes food store 066, denton
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- dos toros meat market, thomasville
- el progreso inc, lexington
- lanier's supermarket, denton
- shuler cedar lodge market inc, thomasville
Super Store · 4
- shuler meats inc, thomasville
- walmart neighborhood market 7205, lexington
- walmart supercenter 1322, lexington
- walmart supercenter 3503, thomasville
Farmers' Market · 3
- lexington farmers market, inc., lexington
- thomasville farmers market nafmnp, thomasville
- winter market, lexington
Small Grocery Store · 3
- cielito lindo meat market, thomasville
- rogers country market, lexington
- southmont grocery, lexington
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- piedmont fresh nafmnp, thomasville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- conrad & hinkle food market, inc, lexington
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the butcher's block llc 2, lexington
Seafood Specialty · 1
- todd's seafood mkt, thomasville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Davidson County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Davidson 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 Davidson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Davidson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Davidson County? ▼
Is Davidson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Davidson 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.