PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Decatur County, GA

Decatur County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

17.9%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
22.8%
on SNAP
29K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

17.9% of Decatur County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
6.9%
households, no vehicle
22.0%
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).

Decatur County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.9% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,984 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,657 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 Decatur County compares nationally

Decatur County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.9% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,873).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Decatur County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Decatur 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 Decatur County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (42.9%) 1 tracts limited (14.3%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (42.9%) Adequate 43% Limited 14% Severe 43% Food-access tier distribution: Decatur County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Decatur County vs. other Georgia counties

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

% 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 Decatur County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)27,842
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population4,984
Low-Access Share17.9%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,657

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Decatur County
IndicatorValue
Population29,195
Median Household Income$53,317
Poverty Rate22.0%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,417
SNAP Participation Rate22.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.0%
SNAP participation in Decatur County 22.8%

About 22.8% of Decatur County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 22.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,417 households here.
  • 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Decatur County

near the national share

3 of Decatur County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 42.9% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 4,984 residents, roughly 17.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,657 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Decatur County

Decatur County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • a & a convenience store, bainbridge
  • aj food mart 3, bainbridge
  • bearcats express, bainbridge
  • bainbridge country store 0, bainbridge
  • bainbridge express 2, bainbridge
  • bishops travel center, attapulgus
  • circle k 2723892, bainbridge
  • circle k 2723894, bainbridge
  • circle k 2723910, bainbridge
  • downtown foods 1, bainbridge
  • junior mall, bainbridge
  • k express, bainbridge
  • murphy usa 7505, bainbridge
  • piya llc, attapulgus
  • prime convenience store, bainbridge
  • quick buys 116, climax
  • quick buys 51, bainbridge
  • raceway 6837 6837, bainbridge
  • sp travel center, bainbridge
  • stop n shop, bainbridge
  • stop n buy, bainbridge
  • sunstop 425, bainbridge
  • sunstop 430, bainbridge
  • us food mart, bainbridge
  • wawa store 6304, bainbridge
  • wc one stop shop, bainbridge

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs pharmacy 4535, bainbridge
  • dollar general 18939, bainbridge
  • dollar general 2349, bainbridge
  • dollar general 3323, bainbridge
  • dollar general 10046, attapulgus
  • dollar general 12774, bainbridge
  • dollar general 20946, climax
  • dollar general 25917, bainbridge
  • dollar tree 1949, bainbridge
  • family dollar 1132, bainbridge
  • walgreens 10831, bainbridge

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 82169, bainbridge
  • bob and jeffs grocery outlet, bainbridge
  • pic n save grocery outlet 656, bainbridge
  • publix super markets, inc. 2109, bainbridge

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • dixie dandy, bainbridge

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • jones country meats inc, climax

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • the meat house, bainbridge

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • kings korner food mart, bainbridge

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 5422, bainbridge

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Georgia

Appling County
47.8% low-access · 19.6% SNAP
Atkinson County
23.5% low-access · 26.2% SNAP
Bacon County
3.3% low-access · 20.9% SNAP
Baker County
61.3% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
24.6% low-access · 16.2% SNAP
Banks County
1.8% low-access · 9.0% SNAP

Compare Decatur County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Decatur County sits inside Georgia (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 Decatur County has low food access? ▼
17.9% of residents in Decatur County, GA 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 Decatur County? ▼
22.8% of households in Decatur County receive SNAP, covering 2,417 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Decatur County? ▼
The poverty rate in Decatur County, GA is 22.0%, with a median household income of $53,317 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Decatur County a food desert? ▼
3 of Decatur County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Decatur County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.9% of households in Decatur 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.