PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Edgecombe County, NC

Edgecombe 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.

17.6%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
23.6%
on SNAP
49K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

17.6% of Edgecombe County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
10.0%
households, no vehicle
21.7%
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).

Edgecombe County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.6% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 9,938 residents who live far from a supermarket. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,406 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 Edgecombe County compares nationally

Edgecombe County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.6% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,907).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Edgecombe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Edgecombe 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 Edgecombe County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (57.1%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (42.9%) Adequate 57% Limited 0% Severe 43% Food-access tier distribution: Edgecombe County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Edgecombe 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 Edgecombe County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)56,552
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population9,938
Low-Access Share17.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,406

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Edgecombe County
IndicatorValue
Population48,736
Median Household Income$51,265
Poverty Rate21.7%well above the national average
SNAP Households4,642
SNAP Participation Rate23.6%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.0%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%
SNAP participation in Edgecombe County 23.6%

About 23.6% of Edgecombe County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 23.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,642 households here.
  • 10.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Edgecombe County

near the national share

6 of Edgecombe County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 42.9% of all its tracts.

An estimated 9,938 residents, roughly 17.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,406 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Edgecombe County

Edgecombe County has 63 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 29

  • 7 to 11, tarboro
  • bi rite market 5 llc, battleboro
  • big jim express, tarboro
  • bridge food mart inc, rocky mount
  • brown's grocery, tarboro
  • c&s food mart inc, tarboro
  • conetoe mart & grill, conetoe
  • downtown supermarket llc, rocky mount
  • duck thru food store 57, pinetops
  • ep mart 18, tarboro
  • ep mart #2, rocky mount
  • ep mart 15, tarboro
  • fuel doc #2, rocky mount
  • fuel doc #3, rocky mount
  • gns express mart, rocky mount
  • mega supermarket, rocky mount
  • midway grocery, rocky mount
  • murphy express 8505, tarboro
  • neighborhood grocery, rocky mount
  • one stop shop, rocky mount
  • pinestop, pinetops
  • quality mart 45 1145, pinetops
  • raceway 848, tarboro
  • sabaa grocery and grill, rocky mount
  • setgo convenience & grill none, tarboro
  • speedway 8264, rocky mount
  • speedway 8658, tarboro
  • speedway 8663, tarboro
  • st mary station inc, tarboro

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • dollar general 18314, rocky mount
  • dollar general 1914, tarboro
  • dollar general 4899, pinetops
  • dollartree 9304, tarboro
  • dollar general 12909, rocky mount
  • dollar general 18399, princeville
  • dollar general 19902, tarboro
  • dollar general 22216, rocky mount
  • dollar general 30688, rocky mount
  • dollar general 31159, macclesfield
  • dollar general 4580, tarboro
  • dollar tree 1982, tarboro
  • dollar tree 5221, rocky mount
  • family dollar store 1611, rocky mount
  • family dollar store 5770, rocky mount
  • roses 537, rocky mount
  • walgreens 15475, tarboro

Supermarket · 7

  • carlie c's iga 745, tarboro
  • food lion 1394, tarboro
  • food lion 1501, tarboro
  • food lion 1659, battleboro
  • food lion 261, rocky mount
  • food lion 619, rocky mount
  • piggly wiggly 85, pinetops

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • big mikes xpress, rocky mount
  • gueros butcher shop, tarboro
  • la esquina latina tarboro, tarboro

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • los primos meat market, tarboro
  • macclesfield grocery, macclesfield

Farmers' Market · 1

  • milkbone meats, rocky mount

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • the family supermarket, rocky mount

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • big bones meat market, princeville

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • main street fish market, tarboro

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 2730, tarboro

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 Edgecombe County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Edgecombe 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 Edgecombe County has low food access? ▼
17.6% of residents in Edgecombe 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 Edgecombe County? ▼
23.6% of households in Edgecombe County receive SNAP, covering 4,642 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Edgecombe County? ▼
The poverty rate in Edgecombe County, NC is 21.7%, with a median household income of $51,265 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Edgecombe County a food desert? ▼
6 of Edgecombe County's 14 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 Edgecombe County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.0% of households in Edgecombe 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.