PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Erath County, TX

Erath 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.

42.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
6.8%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

42.4% of Erath County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
16.6%
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).

Erath County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 42.4% is well above the national share. 6 of the county's 8 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 16,055 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,864 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 Erath County compares nationally

Erath County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 42.4% low-access share outpaces 89% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #334 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Erath County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Erath 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 Erath County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (25.0%) 2 tracts limited (25.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 25% Limited 25% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Erath County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Erath County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Erath County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,890
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population16,055
Low-Access Share42.4%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,864

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Erath County
IndicatorValue
Population43,794
Median Household Income$65,115
Poverty Rate16.6%above the national average
SNAP Households1,143
SNAP Participation Rate6.8%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.2%
SNAP participation in Erath County 6.8%

About 6.8% of Erath County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 42.4% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,143 households here.
  • 4.8% 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 Erath County

well above the national share

4 of Erath County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 16,055 residents, roughly 42.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,864 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Erath County

Erath County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (62% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • alexander country store, dublin
  • allsups 014, dublin
  • allsups 229, stephenville
  • allsups 249, stephenville
  • allsups 359, stephenville
  • allsups 360, stephenville
  • bargain town, stephenville
  • big's #105, dublin
  • cefco 2152, stephenville
  • discount mart, stephenville
  • dublin stop, dublin
  • food mart 10, stephenville
  • mingus quick stop, mingus
  • morgan mill stop, morgan mill
  • murphy usa 7586, stephenville
  • one stop dublin, dublin
  • proctor grocery, dublin
  • sharp vision enterprise llc, dublin
  • taylor food mart 1, stephenville
  • texans c - store, stephenville
  • the junction, stephenville

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • cvs pharmacy inc 7236, stephenville
  • dollar general 24062, dublin
  • dollar general 7444, stephenville
  • dollar general 21164, stephenville
  • dollar general 30002, dublin
  • dollar tree 1934, stephenville
  • family dollar 9034, stephenville
  • walgreens 09040, stephenville

Super Store · 2

  • brookshire brothers 95, dublin
  • walmart 610, stephenville

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 75091, stephenville
  • heb 006, stephenville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • carniceria cara blanca #2, stephenville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Erath County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Erath County sits inside Texas (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 Erath County has low food access? ▼
42.4% of residents in Erath County, TX 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 Erath County? ▼
6.8% of households in Erath County receive SNAP, covering 1,143 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Erath County? ▼
The poverty rate in Erath County, TX is 16.6%, with a median household income of $65,115 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Erath County a food desert? ▼
4 of Erath County's 8 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 Erath County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Erath 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.