PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Duplin County, NC

Duplin 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.

11.0%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
15.8%
on SNAP
49K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

11.0% of Duplin County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
5.8%
households, no vehicle
20.5%
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).

Duplin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.0% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,436 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,697 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 Duplin County compares nationally

Duplin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.0% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,408).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Duplin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Duplin 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 Duplin County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 1 tracts limited (9.1%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 73% Limited 9% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Duplin County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Duplin County vs. other North Carolina counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North 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 Duplin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)58,505
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,436
Low-Access Share11.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,697

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Duplin County
IndicatorValue
Population49,335
Median Household Income$55,148
Poverty Rate20.5%above the national average
SNAP Households3,290
SNAP Participation Rate15.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Duplin County 15.8%

About 15.8% of Duplin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 11.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,290 households here.
  • 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Duplin County

near the national share

2 of Duplin County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,436 residents, roughly 11.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,697 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Duplin County

Duplin County has 66 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 28 locations (42% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 28

  • cvs pharmacy 5577, wallace
  • cvs pharmacy 7043, kenansville
  • dollar general 1440, beulaville
  • dollar general 3863, wallace
  • dollar general 7555, kenansville
  • dollar general 8397, faison
  • dollar general 8936, warsaw
  • dollar general 8998, wallace
  • dollar general 11566, magnolia
  • dollar general 19943, rose hill
  • dollar general 24137, calypso
  • dollar general 24552, albertson
  • dollar general 25784, beulaville
  • dollar general 31052, pink hill
  • dollar general 31216, warsaw
  • dollar general 9034, rose hill
  • dollar general store 17270, mount olive
  • dollar tree 1147, wallace
  • dollar tree 6390, beulaville
  • family dollar 11208, rose hill
  • family dollar 11311, chinquapin
  • family dollar 12236, albertson
  • family dollar store 114, warsaw
  • family dollar store 1502, beulaville
  • family dollar store 27, kenansville
  • family dollar store 8009, wallace
  • walgreens 10088, wallace
  • walgreens 11893, beulaville

Convenience Store · 21

  • circle k 2723130, warsaw
  • handy mart 4701, faison
  • jamans inc, wallace
  • magnolia food mart, magnolia
  • minuteman food mart 201, faison
  • minuteman food mart 204, warsaw
  • minuteman food mart 217, mount olive
  • minuteman food mart 223, pink hill
  • minuteman food mart 225, chinquapin
  • murphy usa 7472, wallace
  • muthana ii inc 1, magnolia
  • pmg pm 753, wallace
  • pilot travel center 6996, warsaw
  • quinn's general store, pink hill
  • sheetz 843, warsaw
  • speedway 7906, wallace
  • speedway 8227, kenansville
  • speedway 8272, beulaville
  • speedway 8290, rose hill
  • tienda hispana mariela, seven springs
  • tienda y variedades latinas llc, rose hill

Small Grocery Store · 6

  • el rancho latino inc, rose hill
  • el rebelde frutas y verduras, faison
  • los mendoza food market, warsaw
  • merary's bakery llc, magnolia
  • supermercado hispano, wallace
  • tienda yuli, mount olive

Supermarket · 4

  • carlie c's iga 725, beulaville
  • food lion 1550, wallace
  • food lion 936, kenansville
  • godwins foods, rose hill

Super Store · 3

  • piggly wiggly 090, warsaw
  • piggly wiggly 86, wallace
  • walmart supercenter 1352, wallace

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • whaley's super market inc, beulaville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • billy's pork & beef center, wallace

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • mac's country meats store 1, warsaw

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • little farmers produce and seafood, wallace

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Duplin County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Duplin County sits inside North 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 Duplin County has low food access? ▼
11.0% of residents in Duplin County, NC 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 Duplin County? ▼
15.8% of households in Duplin County receive SNAP, covering 3,290 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Duplin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Duplin County, NC is 20.5%, with a median household income of $55,148 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Duplin County a food desert? ▼
2 of Duplin County's 11 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 Duplin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.8% of households in Duplin 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.