County food-access profile · Alabama
DeKalb County, AL
Most of DeKalb 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).
- 0.0%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 72K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
0.0% of DeKalb County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 0
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 22.4%
- 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, DeKalb County fares better than most: just 0.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 14 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 0 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 DeKalb County compares nationally
Food access in DeKalb County compares favorably nationally: its 0.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 0% of them (rank #3,133).
DeKalb County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in DeKalb County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
DeKalb County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- DeKalb 0
DeKalb County, AL
0 % low-access
- Autauga
Autauga County, AL
33.9 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, AL
25.1 % low-access
- Barbour
Barbour County, AL
20.5 % low-access
- Bibb 1.6
Bibb County, AL
1.6 % low-access
- Blount 6.8
Blount County, AL
6.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 71,109 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 0 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 0 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 72,269 |
| Median Household Income | $51,204 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.4%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,627 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 17.7% of DeKalb County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 0.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,627 households here.
- 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $51,204 with a 22.4% 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 DeKalb County
below the national share
The remaining 14 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
None of DeKalb 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 DeKalb County
DeKalb County has 96 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 44 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 44
- 4 way food mart & tobacco mall, dawson
- aroney tabacco, boaz
- circle k 2723668, fort payne
- circle k store 2709330, henagar
- durango's bp, collinsville
- five point quick stop & deli, fort payne
- fort payne food and tabacco, fort payne
- fuel city, crossville
- fyffe stop-n-go, fyffe
- gap express, dawson
- geraldine foodland, geraldine
- helenas mountain market, mentone
- hi tech express 2, collinsville
- jay kumbh llc, geraldine
- jetpep 81 1, crossville
- kilpatrick quick mart, crossville
- kountry korner, rainsville
- loves stop n go, fort payne
- mapco express, inc. 5145, fort payne
- mapco express, inc. 5151, collinsville
- mapco express, inc. 5152, rainsville
- mapco express, inc. 5153, fort payne
- mapco express, inc. 5155, geraldine
- mapco express, inc. 5157, fort payne
- mapco express, inc. 5158, fort payne
- mapco express, inc. 5165, fort payne
- mapco express, inc. 5167, fort payne
- mapco express, inc. 5168, collinsville
- mapco express, inc. 5169, fyffe
- mapco express, inc. 5172, rainsville
- mapco 911 911, fort payne
- mis antojitos, fort payne
- mj fuel 1, henagar
- modern llc, crossville
- murphy usa 5811, fort payne
- parkway food mart, fort payne
- powell's quick mart inc., fyffe
- rim of the canyon, fort payne
- super stop 68, crossville
- the korner store, fyffe
- tienda guatemala don pancho, collinsville
- time save llc, fort payne
- valley head discount food mart, valley head
- xtreme express wash, fort payne
Combination Grocery/Other · 26
- dollar general 0943, fort payne
- dollar general 1004, rainsville
- dollar general 1934, fort payne
- dollar general 3347, collinsville
- dollar general 3986, fyffe
- dollar general 6064, fort payne
- dollar general 634, henagar
- dollar general 8742, geraldine
- dollar general 10249, ider
- dollar general 11574, sylvania
- dollar general 12736, crossville
- dollar general 17615, fort payne
- dollar general 20994, fort payne
- dollar general 21974, fyffe
- dollar general 22291, fort payne
- dollar general 23703, rainsville
- dollar general 24766, geraldine
- dollar general 4083, crossville
- dollar general 6135, valley head
- dollar tree 1548, fort payne
- dollar tree 8278, rainsville
- family dollar 12565, crossville
- family dollar 12746, ider
- family dollar 13437, henagar
- los amigos market, fort payne
- walgreens 10523, fort payne
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- barrera supermarket, crossville
- guelaguetza bakery, albertville
- los reyes, fort payne
- los reyes, collinsville
- tienda ebenezer, fort payne
- tienda el nino, crossville
- tienda la ideal, albertville
- tienda tikal, fort payne
Supermarket · 6
- food city 503, fort payne
- fyffe foodland, fyffe
- ider foodland, ider
- piggly wiggly 246, collinsville
- price less iga 009, fort payne
- united grocery outlet 13, fort payne
Large Grocery Store · 3
- fant's foodland, crossville
- stop to save supermarket 37, rainsville
- stop to save supermarket 34, henagar
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- crowes butcher shop, henagar
- d&s quality beef, llc, albertville
- jenkins cattle co meat market, henagar
Small Grocery Store · 3
- bbs salvage grocery, fort payne
- la chona, rainsville
- tienda latino, fort payne
Super Store · 3
- foodland plus, fort payne
- rainsville foodland, rainsville
- walmart s/c 691, fort payne
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare DeKalb County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
DeKalb County sits inside Alabama (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 DeKalb County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in DeKalb County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in DeKalb County? ▼
Is DeKalb County a food desert? ▼
What share of DeKalb 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.