PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Dillon County, SC

Most of Dillon 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).

4.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
24.0%
on SNAP
28K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

4.5% of Dillon County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
611
food-desert residents
9.8%
households, no vehicle
27.7%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Dillon County fares better than most: just 4.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 6 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,433 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 611 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 Dillon County compares nationally

Food access in Dillon County compares favorably nationally: its 4.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 9% of them (rank #2,843).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Dillon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Dillon 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 Dillon County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (83.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 83% Limited 0% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Dillon County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Dillon County vs. other South Carolina counties

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

% 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 Dillon County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,062
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population1,433
Low-Access Share4.5%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population611

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Dillon County
IndicatorValue
Population27,862
Median Household Income$46,605
Poverty Rate27.7%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,596
SNAP Participation Rate24.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.8%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Dillon County 24.0%

About 24.0% of Dillon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 4.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 24.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,596 households here.
  • 9.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Dillon County

below the national share

1 of Dillon County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

An estimated 1,433 residents, roughly 4.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 611 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Dillon County

Dillon County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • 365 fast mart #138, dillon
  • brother in the hood, dillon
  • circle k 2723219, latta
  • dillon food mart, dillon
  • love's travel stops & country stores, inc 371, dillon
  • marathon, dillon
  • marts to go, dillon
  • murphy express 8517, dillon
  • new town mini mart, dillon
  • pilot travel center 4584, latta
  • pilot travel center 713, latta
  • quick shop, latta
  • quiktrip 7133, dillon
  • ready mart, dillon
  • refuel 1144, latta
  • speedway 1590, dillon
  • tiger mart 1, dillon
  • tiger mart 12, dillon
  • tiger mart 21, dillon
  • tiger mart 5, lake view
  • tiger mart 8, latta

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • cvs pharmacy 3843, dillon
  • dollar general 0787, latta
  • dollar general 10101, dillon
  • dollar general 8166, lake view
  • dollar general 15562, dillon
  • dollar general 18477, dillon
  • dollar general 25141, hamer
  • dollar general 25364, fork
  • dollar general 25548, latta
  • dollar general 30087, dillon
  • dollar general store 17033, dillon
  • dollar tree 3829, dillon
  • family dollar 4641, lake view
  • family dollar store 4642, latta
  • family dollar store 4651, dillon
  • roses 529, dillon
  • walgreens 10447, dillon

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • dillon meat center, dillon
  • lake view market, lake view
  • market on main, lake view

Super Store · 2

  • kj's market-dillon 621, dillon
  • walmart supercenter 627, dillon

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 431, dillon
  • latta iga 626, latta

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • dillon county foodshare hub, dillon

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Dillon County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Dillon County sits inside South Carolina (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 Dillon County has low food access? ▼
4.5% of residents in Dillon County, SC 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 Dillon County? ▼
24.0% of households in Dillon County receive SNAP, covering 2,596 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Dillon County? ▼
The poverty rate in Dillon County, SC is 27.7%, with a median household income of $46,605 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Dillon County a food desert? ▼
1 of Dillon County's 6 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 Dillon County households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.8% of households in Dillon 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.