County food-access profile · Georgia
DeKalb County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of DeKalb 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).
- 24.6%
- low-access pop.
- 38
- food-desert tracts
- 12.8%
- on SNAP
- 765K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.6% of DeKalb County residents live in a low-access area, and 38 of its 144 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 72
- low-access tracts
- 60K
- food-desert residents
- 7.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.7%
- 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 DeKalb County's low-access share at 24.6%, above the national share. 72 of the county's 144 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 170,397 people. 38 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 60,350 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 DeKalb County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, DeKalb County's 24.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,323 most-affected nationwide.
DeKalb County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 144 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 Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- DeKalb
DeKalb County, GA
24.6 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 144 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 691,893 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 72 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 38 |
| Low-Access Population | 170,397 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 60,350 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 765,351 |
| Median Household Income | $80,644 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.7%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 36,708 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 12.8% of DeKalb County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 36,708 households here.
- 7.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 38 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 DeKalb County
above the national share
38 of DeKalb County's 144 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 26.4% of all its tracts.
A further 34 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 72.
An estimated 170,397 residents, roughly 24.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 60,350 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 72 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in DeKalb County
DeKalb County has 549 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 138 locations (25% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 138
- 2399 columbia business llc 0, decatur
- 2425 columbia, decatur
- 2911 food mart llc, brookhaven
- 2944 qm llc, stonecrest
- 3 brothers foodmart, lithonia
- 5960 enterprise llc, stone mountain
- 76 food mart, clarkston
- a & g food mart, decatur
- ar 6 investment business llc, lithonia
- aaa lucky mart, decatur
- aberus food mart, stone mountain
- addis grocery llc 1, clarkston
- alam 5048 llc, atlanta
- american food mart, atlanta
- ammazin food mart, decatur
- amoco food mart, atlanta
- amoco food mart, decatur
- an food mart, decatur
- arf food llc, decatur
- avondale food mart, decatur
- bp at candler, decatur
- bp food mart, decatur
- bp food & gas, decatur
- bp food mart, lithonia
- bp foodmart, tucker
- bp gas station, atlanta
- belvedere express, decatur
- best food mart, tucker
- best value, lithonia
- beuna suerte food mart, atlanta
- big daddys, decatur
- big h food mart, atlanta
- bighmart, stone mountain
- bouldercrest shell llc, ellenwood
- bp food mart, tucker
- bp food mart, stone mountain
- bp food mart, decatur
- bp food mart, lithonia
- bp food mart, stone mountain
- bp panthersville inc, ellenwood
- briarcliff quickmart, atlanta
- broadway chevron, atlanta
- brockett road chevron, clarkston
- bsb7 inc, decatur
- buchanan's food store, atlanta
- buddy's food store, atlanta
- buddys, decatur
- buford shell, brookhaven
- chevron food mart, stone mountain
- chevron food mart, decatur
- chevron food mart, tucker
- citgo quik mart, stone mountain
- candler food mart, decatur
- cato convenience & variety store, decatur
- chamblee food mart, chamblee
- chamblee quick mart, atlanta
- chapel food mart, decatur
- cherry stone llc 1, decatur
- chevron extramile, lithonia
- chevron food mart, stone mountain
- chevron food mart, atlanta
- chevron food mart, decatur
- chevron food mart, decatur
- chevron food mart, stone mountain
- chevron food mart, tucker
- chevron food mart, clarkston
- chevron food mart, lithonia
- chevron food mart, atlanta
- chevron food mart, atlanta
- chevron food mart, decatur
- chevron food mart, stone mountain
- chevron food mart, atlanta
- chevron food mart, decatur
- chevron food mart, tucker
- chevron food mart, lithonia
- chevron food mart, decatur
- chevron food mart 0, stone mountain
- chevron foodmart, conyers
- chevron foodmart 402, decatur
- chevron tucker express, tucker
- chevron wesley chapel, decatur
- circle food shop 32, atlanta
- circle k, decatur
- circle k # 205, decatur
- circle k aamco no, atlanta
- circle k candler, decatur
- circle k lithonia, stonecrest
- circle m food shop 91, lithonia
- citgo food, snellville
- citgo food mart, stone mountain
- citgo food mart, lithonia
- citgo food mart, atlanta
- citgo food mart, stone mountain
- clarkston food mart, clarkston
- columbia food mart none, decatur
- compromise krish inc, scottdale
- conley food mart, conley
- country food, stone mountain
- covington food mart, lithonia
- d & d convenience store, decatur
- dekalb convenience store, atlanta
- discount food mart, atlanta
- discount food mart, decatur
- discount smokes, decatur
- dollar savers, decatur
- dunwoody shell, atlanta
- el loteria, atlanta
- el mundo food mart, atlanta
- el progreso, atlanta
- el rey supermercado, chamblee
- exxon food mart, brookhaven
- exxon food mart, decatur
- exxon food mart, decatur
- exxon food mart, clarkston
- ez market, brookhaven
- ez shop, atlanta
- family food mart 1, lithonia
- fiesta food mart 2, atlanta
- flatshoals bp, atlanta
- food & gas, atlanta
- food mart, stone mountain
- food mart, ellenwood
- food mart, atlanta
- food mart convenience store, lithonia
- glenwood 786, decatur
- glenwood chevron, decatur
- glenwood food mart, decatur
- gurnor llc, stone mountain
- gwinnett convenience store, atlanta
- hairston food mart, stone mountain
- hbm food mart, stone mountain
- hop n shop food store, decatur
- idlewood food mart, tucker
- indian bazaar, atlanta
- international food market, decatur
- j & s food mart, avondale estates
- jp dunwoody 208, atlanta
- jv food mart, decatur
Combination Grocery/Other · 112
- 4 sisters asian grocery 1, clarkston
- abc christian books & natural foods, decatur
- b & k meats, decatur
- balageru food mart, clarkston
- best new orleans seafood of atlanta llc, decatur
- brito supermarket, atlanta
- cherians, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 4513, atlanta
- cvs pharmacy 4537, atlanta
- cvs pharmacy 4742, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 5355, cumming
- cvs pharmacy 2083, atlanta
- cvs pharmacy 2116, stone mountain
- cvs pharmacy 2175, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 2367, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 2504, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 2526, atlanta
- cvs pharmacy 4505, chamblee
- cvs pharmacy 4530, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 4595, lithonia
- cvs pharmacy 4684, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 5376, atlanta
- cvs pharmacy 7312, stone mountain
- cvs pharmacy 7689, atlanta
- cvs/pharmacy 4733, atlanta
- dollar general 13055, ellenwood
- dollar general 13079, tucker
- dollar general 13962, scottdale
- dollar general 18964, lithonia
- dollar general 3916, lithonia
- dollar general 8243, stone mountain
- dollar tree 4705, decatur
- dollartree 10310, atlanta
- dollartree 9717, lithonia - stonecrest
- dollartree 9948, lithonia
- dollar general 10145, lithonia
- dollar general 12540, clarkston
- dollar general 12819, lithonia
- dollar general 13141, tucker
- dollar general 17213, doraville
- dollar general 18636, stone mountain
- dollar general 19081, brookhaven
- dollar general 19085, decatur
- dollar general 19087, decatur
- dollar general 20540, lithonia
- dollar general 23360, tucker
- dollar tree 1031, decatur
- dollar tree 1480, decatur
- dollar tree 1564, brookhaven
- dollar tree 1797, atlanta
- dollar tree 2238, lithonia
- dollar tree 3291, lithonia
- dollar tree 3667, atlanta
- dollar tree 4231, atlanta
- dollar tree 4380, decatur
- dollar tree 4819, tucker
- dollar tree 6737, atlanta
- dollar tree 717, decatur
- dollar tree 7322, stonecrest
- dollar tree 755, stone mountain
- dollar tree 7897, stone mountain
- dollar tree 8338, ellenwood
- dukes international market inc, decatur
- elsa mart, stone mountain
- eyrus food mart llc, clarkston
- family dollar 10281, atlanta
- family dollar 11616, lithonia
- family dollar 11635, scottdale
- family dollar 11824, decatur
- family dollar 12411, stone mountain
- family dollar 12488, stonecrest
- family dollar 13758, decatur
- family dollar 2602, stone mountain
- family dollar 3475, clarkston
- family dollar 470, lithonia
- family dollar 511, decatur
- family dollar 5820, decatur
- family dollar 7203, stone mountain
- family dollar 7339, lithonia
- family dollar 7528, decatur
- family dollar 7600, lithonia
- family dollar 8168, stone mountain
- family dollar 8346, stone mountain
- family dollar store 10154, clarkston
- family dollar store 10681, stone mountain
- family dollar store 7463, atlanta
- family dollar store 7641, decatur
- family dollar store 8474, decatur
- georgia halal meat, decatur
- halal madina market, atlanta
- international grocery market, clarkston
- la seafood market, decatur
- lavista food mart, tucker
- meat masters, decatur
- motherland foods market llc, stone mountain
- roses 1895, decatur
- south asian market, clarkston
- subhlaxmi grocers 1, tucker
- the kosher gourmet, atlanta
- walgreens 5580, decatur
- walgreens 5759, decatur
- walgreens 6202, lithonia
- walgreens 6205, lithonia
- walgreens 6481, decatur
- walgreens 07167, atlanta
- walgreens 10457, tucker
- walgreens 11757, atlanta
- walgreens 12262, atlanta
- walgreens 2359, atlanta
- walgreens 7478, decatur
- walgreens 7741, atlanta
- walgreens 7995, stone mountain
Showing 250 of 549 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare DeKalb County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
DeKalb County sits inside Georgia (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? ▼
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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.