County food-access profile · Texas
Ellis County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ellis County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 34.6%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 6.8%
- on SNAP
- 213K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.6% of Ellis County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 14
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 3.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.9%
- 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).
USDA data puts Ellis County's low-access share at 34.6%, above the national share. 14 of the county's 31 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 51,826 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 10,974 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 Ellis County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ellis County's 34.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #621 most-affected nationwide.
Ellis County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 31 census tracts in Ellis County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Ellis County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Ellis
Ellis County, TX
34.6 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 31 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 149,610 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 14 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 51,826 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 10,974 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 213,160 |
| Median Household Income | $99,595 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,902 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 6.8% of Ellis County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,902 households here.
- 3.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Ellis County
above the national share
4 of Ellis County's 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.9% of all its tracts.
A further 10 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 14.
An estimated 51,826 residents, roughly 34.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 10,974 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (54.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Ellis County
Ellis County has 118 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 59 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 59
- 7-eleven 42099h, red oak
- 7-eleven convenience store 42168a, waxahachie
- 7-eleven convenience store 38254a, midlothian
- 7-eleven convenience store 38295a, red oak
- 7-eleven convenience store 38527a, midlothian
- 7-eleven convenience store 41175a, waxahachie
- 7-eleven convenience store 42118a, red oak
- a & i shell food mart, midlothian
- allsup's 102432, ennis
- alma one stop, alma
- bardwell food market, bardwell
- charlie's grocery, ennis
- e-z mart 4240, ferris
- en route market, waxahachie
- ennis neighborhood mart, ennis
- hitchin post, ferris
- jaxx fuel 8, ferris
- joe's kwik marts 9006, ennis
- knox super stop, red oak
- kwick pick, ennis
- love's travel stop 628, italy
- love's travel stop 721, alma
- love's travel stops & country stores inc 216, midlothian
- main stop food store, waxahachie
- mlk food mart, waxahachie
- midlothian mini mart, midlothian
- milford corner store 0, milford
- murphy express 8690, red oak
- murphy usa 5703, waxahachie
- murphy usa 7434, midlothian
- murphy usa 7875, ennis
- my stop, glenn heights
- oasis food store, midlothian
- onestop, ennis
- palmer market, palmer
- quick pantry, garrett
- quiktrip 1940, waxahachie
- quiktrip 1953, midlothian
- quiktrip 943, waxahachie
- quiktrip 989, ennis
- racetrac 564, waxahachie
- racetrac 624, red oak
- red oak mart, red oak
- road ranger llc 319, milford
- sam's food mart, waxahachie
- sammy's mini mart, waxahachie
- scarborough travel stop, waxahachie
- smart stop 1, midlothian
- texas best smokehouse #4, midlothian
- the hawk shop, red oak
- tiger mart #44, ennis
- tiger mart 10, waxahachie
- tiger mart 41, waxahachie
- tiger mart 5, waxahachie
- tiger mart 66, palmer
- tiger mart 79, waxahachie
- tigermart #20, midlothian
- valero corner store 2741206, waxahachie
- whistle stop 1, red oak
Combination Grocery/Other · 34
- braum's 139, waxahachie
- braum's 158, ennis
- cvs pharmacy inc 6864, waxahachie
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7487, midlothian
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7675, red oak
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7732, ennis
- dollar general 1670, waxahachie
- dollar general 1782, midlothian
- dollar general 1975, ennis
- dollar general 4743, red oak
- dollar general 6580, italy
- dollar general 7490, ferris
- dollartree 9723, waxahachie
- dollartree 9787, waxahachie
- dollar general 11491, maypearl
- dollar general 16715, waxahachie
- dollar general 17745, red oak
- dollar general 20129, ennis
- dollar general 21369, palmer
- dollar general 21430, midlothian
- dollar general 6298, ovilla
- dollar tree 2300, ennis
- dollar tree 3126, waxahachie
- dollar tree 6465, red oak
- dollar tree 6930, palmer
- family dollar 12009, ennis
- family dollar 13343, italy
- family dollar 3970, waxahachie
- family dollar 4861, midlothian
- family dollar 7097, ferris
- walgreens 09448, ennis
- walgreens 6562, waxahachie
- walgreens 9721, midlothian
- walgreens 9947, red oak
Supermarket · 11
- aldi 75097, midlothian
- aldi 79, waxachachie
- brookshire food store #69 069, midlothian
- brookshire food store 108, red oak
- ge foodland 54 llc 54, waxahachie
- heb 107, ennis
- heb 426, waxahachie
- spring market 718, palmer
- spring market 719, italy
- super garcia meat market 1, waxahachie
- tom thumb 104, waxahachie
Super Store · 9
- brookshire brothers 86, maypearl
- brookshire brothers 90, italy
- brookshire brothers 93, ferris
- kroger 596, midlothian
- target store 1962, waxahachie
- walmart 286, ennis
- walmart 3433, red oak
- walmart 4279, midlothian
- walmart supercenter 260, waxahachie
Large Grocery Store · 2
- kyro llb inc, ferris
- la michoacana meat market d 08, ennis
Farmers' Market · 1
- ennis bluebonnet market, ennis
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- la grande supermarket, ennis
Small Grocery Store · 1
- happiness international market, red oak
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Ellis County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Ellis County sits inside Texas (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 Ellis County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ellis County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Ellis County? ▼
Is Ellis County a food desert? ▼
What share of Ellis 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.