PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Dickson County, TN

Dickson 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.

12.2%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
9.3%
on SNAP
56K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

12.2% of Dickson County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
2.9%
households, no vehicle
10.9%
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).

Dickson County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,052 residents who live far from a supermarket. 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 Dickson County compares nationally

Dickson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.2% low-access share that beats 26% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,327).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Dickson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Dickson 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 Dickson County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (70.0%) 3 tracts limited (30.0%) Adequate 70% Limited 30% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Dickson County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Dickson County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Dickson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,666
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population6,052
Low-Access Share12.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,940

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Dickson County
IndicatorValue
Population55,983
Median Household Income$75,003
Poverty Rate10.9%below the national average
SNAP Households2,017
SNAP Participation Rate9.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Dickson County 9.3%

About 9.3% of Dickson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,017 households here.
  • 2.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $75,003 with a 10.9% 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 Dickson County

near the national share

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,052 residents, roughly 12.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,940 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Dickson County

Dickson County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • 76 mini food mart, dickson
  • airport market, dickson
  • amoco food shop, dickson
  • charlotte market, charlotte
  • dickson express, dickson
  • dickson foodmart, dickson
  • dickson minimart, dickson
  • dickson shell station, dickson
  • fast stop 2, white bluff
  • fast stop 3, dickson
  • fast stop 4, dickson
  • fortune market, cumberland furnace
  • huck's 392, dickson
  • i40 & 48 exchange market, dickson
  • kwik stop, dickson
  • lopez's store, dickson
  • love's travel stop 369, dickson
  • morgans market, vanleer
  • murphy usa 6868, dickson
  • one stop, dickson
  • p & d quick stop 5 5, dickson
  • pilot travel center 409, dickson
  • quiktrip 7147, dickson
  • speedway 7184, dickson
  • sunny's market, dickson
  • village market, dickson

Combination Grocery/Other · 23

  • cvs pharmacy 6393, dickson
  • dollar general 13384, dickson
  • dollar general 2395, white bluff
  • dollar general 50, dickson
  • dollar general 7061, charlotte
  • dollar general 11807, burns
  • dollar general 12491, vanleer
  • dollar general 12495, dickson
  • dollar general 15486, dickson
  • dollar general 18205, dickson
  • dollar general 19940, charlotte
  • dollar general 23236, dickson
  • dollar general 25233, dickson
  • dollar general 25754, white bluff
  • dollar general 30230, burns
  • dollar general 30554, dickson
  • dollar general 3944, dickson
  • dollar general store 17414, dickson
  • dollar general store 17419, cumberland furnace
  • dollar tree 1756, dickson
  • sudden service 48, dickson
  • twice daily 8821, dickson
  • walgreens 05564, dickson

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 70024, dickson
  • chappell's home town foods 2, dickson
  • chappell's home town foods 3, white bluff
  • chappell's hometown foods 5, dickson
  • murphys cee bee, charlotte

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 523, dickson
  • walmart s/c 0264, dickson

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza tn057, dickson

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • manns market 1, white bluff

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • country view market, charlotte

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • rileys meat market, dickson

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Dickson County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Dickson County sits inside Tennessee (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 Dickson County has low food access? ▼
12.2% of residents in Dickson County, TN 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 Dickson County? ▼
9.3% of households in Dickson County receive SNAP, covering 2,017 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Dickson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Dickson County, TN is 10.9%, with a median household income of $75,003 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Dickson County a food desert? ▼
0 of Dickson County's 10 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Dickson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.9% of households in Dickson 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.