County food-access profile · Georgia
Dougherty County, GA
Dougherty County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 42.9%
- low-access pop.
- 15
- food-desert tracts
- 29.0%
- on SNAP
- 83K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
42.9% of Dougherty County residents live in a low-access area, and 15 of its 27 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 23K
- food-desert residents
- 10.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 25.0%
- 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).
Dougherty County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 42.9% is well above the national share. 17 of the county's 27 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 40,598 people. 15 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 23,171 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 Dougherty County compares nationally
Dougherty County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 42.9% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #318 most-affected nationwide.
Dougherty County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 27 census tracts in Dougherty County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Dougherty County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Dougherty
Dougherty County, GA
42.9 % 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 | 27 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 94,565 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 15 |
| Low-Access Population | 40,598 |
| Low-Access Share | 42.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 23,171 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 83,091 |
| Median Household Income | $49,044 |
| Poverty Rate | 25.0%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,925 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 29.0%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.9%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.1% |
About 29.0% of Dougherty County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 42.9% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 29.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,925 households here.
- 10.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 15 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 Dougherty County
well above the national share
15 of Dougherty County's 27 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 55.6% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 17.
An estimated 40,598 residents, roughly 42.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 23,171 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (37.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Dougherty County
Dougherty County has 149 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 91 locations (61% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 91
- a b food mart, albany
- a better way grocers, albany
- ab & c oriental store, albany
- aj food mart 1, albany
- albany express, albany
- albany food, albany
- albany mart n/a, albany
- american eagle food, albany
- annie convenience store, albany
- apple express, albany
- big e's country store, albany
- bloc stop travel center, albany
- brothers corner, albany
- county line grocery, sylvester
- chevron food mart, albany
- college corner, albany
- corner college, albany
- countyline foods, albany
- creekside 2, albany
- creekside 4, albany
- cruz tortilleria & grocery, albany
- dawson rd food mart, albany
- dixie food mart n/a, albany
- fast lane food mart, albany
- fairway store 1, albany
- flash foods llc 274203, albany
- flash foods llc 274204, albany
- flash foods llc 2745107, albany
- flash foods llc 2745154, albany
- flash foods llc 2745155, albany
- flowers bakery outlet 96, albany
- food circle, albany
- food mart, albany
- fresh foods international market, albany
- gia food mart, albany
- gas express 3, albany
- goodlife fresh, albany
- grab n go n/a, albany
- h & k food mart, albany
- havmor food n/a, albany
- hillcorner foodstore, albany
- homerun foods #10, albany
- homerun foods 1, albany
- homerun foods 103, albany
- homerun foods 2 102, albany
- homerun foods 5 105, albany
- homerun foods 6 106, albany
- homerun foods 7, albany
- homerun foods 9 109, albany
- homerun foods no.8 108, albany
- hrh mart n/a, albany
- jay umiya 1982 llc, albany
- june bug grocery 2, albany
- june bugs grocery n/a, albany
- la chaparrita 2, albany
- lotus market, albany
- love's travel stop 808, albany
- lucky 9 n/a, albany
- md food mart, albany
- mlk grocery, albany
- murphy express 8601, albany
- needs, albany
- needs2 dba zaibadil enterprises inc., albany
- neighborhood grocery, albany
- new slappy foods, albany
- nouria 2424 clark avenue 841, albany
- nouria 2800 north slappey boulevard 840, albany
- nouria 610 south slappey boulevard 31, albany
- one leaf, albany
- one pramukh llc d.b.a. shell food mart, albany
- one stop food store, albany
- one stop n/a, albany
- one stop two n/a, albany
- pace 51 n/a, albany
- pilot travel center 260, albany
- priya food mart 2, albany
- priya food mart n/a, albany
- quick buys 112, albany
- quick shop, albany
- quickshop, albany
- qwe investment 2317 llc, albany
- rk market, albany
- radium springs food mart, albany
- rao's exxon, albany
- s&k grocery, albany
- shivom group llc, albany
- simply slappey, albany
- slappey express n/a, albany
- slappey food mart, albany
- stop n shop n/a, albany
- wawa store 6306, albany
Combination Grocery/Other · 34
- cvs pharmacy 4569, albany
- dollar general 10889, albany
- dollar general 13835, albany
- dollar general 1581, albany
- dollar general 18643, albany
- dollar general 36, albany
- dollar general 478, albany
- dollar general 8161, albany
- dollar general 8335, albany
- dollar general 8532, albany
- dollar general 8562, albany
- dollartree 10199, albany
- dollar general 11692, albany
- dollar general 12499, albany
- dollar general 14788, albany
- dollar general 16408, albany
- dollar general 21011, albany
- dollar general 23534, albany
- dollar general 25886, albany
- dollar general 8162, albany
- dollar tree 4174, albany
- dollar tree 5931, albany
- dollar tree 96, albany
- family dollar store 11047, albany
- family dollar 11395, albany
- family dollar 11463, albany
- family dollar 6485, albany
- family dollar store 10958, albany
- family dollar store 427, albany
- family dollar store 4873, albany
- family dollar store 6111, albany
- u save it pharmacy - south albany, albany
- walgreens 06201, albany
- walgreens 10796, albany
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 76140, albany
- food lion 2820, albany
- food lion 2818, albany
- food lion 2819, albany
- mike's country store llc 2, albany
- mikes country store 3, inc, albany
- publix 450, albany
- pic n sav 647, albany
- rickys country store n/a, albany
Super Store · 7
- food for less albany, inc 293, albany
- sam's club 6506, albany
- target store 734, albany
- walmart neighborhood market 2801, albany
- walmart neighborhood market 4517, albany
- walmart supercenter 5797, albany
- walmart supercenter 588, albany
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- hank vinsons meathouse 2, albany
- moree's grocery, albany
Seafood Specialty · 2
- fish and seafood market, albany
- white's l & l seafood, albany
Small Grocery Store · 2
- crossroads food mart, albany
- magnolia grocery, albany
Farmers' Market · 1
- angela camille enterprise premium cattle co llc, albany
Military Commissary · 1
- albany mclb commissary 501, albany
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Dougherty County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Dougherty 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 Dougherty County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dougherty County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Dougherty County? ▼
Is Dougherty County a food desert? ▼
What share of Dougherty 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.