PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Alabama

Escambia County, AL

Escambia 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.

10.6%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
15.2%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AL

The food-access picture

10.6% of Escambia County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
20.0%
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).

Escambia County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.6% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,078 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,175 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 Escambia County compares nationally

Escambia County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.6% low-access share that beats 22% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,446).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Escambia County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Escambia 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 Escambia County, AL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (55.6%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 56% Limited 11% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Escambia County, AL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Escambia County vs. other Alabama counties

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

% 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 Escambia County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,319
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population4,078
Low-Access Share10.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,175

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Escambia County
IndicatorValue
Population36,629
Median Household Income$48,225
Poverty Rate20.0%above the national average
SNAP Households1,942
SNAP Participation Rate15.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.9%
SNAP participation in Escambia County 15.2%

About 15.2% of Escambia County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 10.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,942 households here.
  • 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Escambia County

near the national share

3 of Escambia County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 4,078 residents, roughly 10.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,175 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Escambia County

Escambia County has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • circle k 2721571, brewton
  • circle k 2721575, brewton
  • circle k 2721576, flomaton
  • countryexpress, brewton
  • diamond 14, brewton
  • diamond 21, atmore
  • diamond 23, atmore
  • diamond 24, atmore
  • diamond 4, atmore
  • diamond 5, brewton
  • diamond 6, atmore
  • diamond 7, brewton
  • express mart #7 7, atmore
  • fast lane, atmore
  • first choice, atmore
  • maxwell quick mart, brewton
  • murphy express 8546, brewton
  • spudds 2, brewton
  • spudds, atmore
  • tom thumb 900033, flomaton
  • ttt mart inc - express mart 6, atmore
  • texaco, flomaton
  • the country store, brewton
  • the warehouse market & bakery, llc, atmore
  • tom thumb 900044, brewton

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • dollar general 1198, brewton
  • dollar general 1634, brewton
  • dollar general 2822, atmore
  • dollar general 7404, flomaton
  • dollar general 7746, atmore
  • dollar general 13884, brewton
  • dollar general 14720, atmore
  • dollar general 25786, atmore
  • dollar general 25926, flomaton
  • dollar general 30052, atmore
  • dollar tree 4089, brewton
  • dollar tree 5251, atmore
  • family dollar store 1089, atmore
  • roses express 680, brewton
  • walgreens 10761, atmore
  • walgreens 10762, brewton

Super Store · 4

  • food champs 6160, atmore
  • magnolia super foods, inc, brewton
  • walmart supercenter 1620, brewton
  • walmart supercenter 7247, atmore

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • perdido river meats, atmore

Supermarket · 1

  • pic n sav 618, brewton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Alabama

Autauga County
33.9% low-access · 9.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
25.1% low-access · 6.7% SNAP
Barbour County
20.5% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bibb County
1.6% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Blount County
6.8% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Bullock County
68.5% low-access · 34.0% SNAP

Compare Escambia County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →

Food access nationally, Alabama in context

Escambia County sits inside Alabama (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 Escambia County has low food access? ▼
10.6% of residents in Escambia County, AL 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 Escambia County? ▼
15.2% of households in Escambia County receive SNAP, covering 1,942 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Escambia County? ▼
The poverty rate in Escambia County, AL is 20.0%, with a median household income of $48,225 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Escambia County a food desert? ▼
3 of Escambia County's 9 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 Escambia County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Escambia 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.