Signature · 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts)
Essex County, VA
Essex County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of the book) alongside 44.1% low-access.
- 44.1%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 12.8%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Essex County, VA
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 44.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +22.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 67% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Radford city ( -0.8 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Essex County sits in the upper national band (44.1%, #297 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #297
- national by low-access %
- #11
- in VA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts) .
How Essex County compares nationally
Essex County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 44.1% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #298 most-affected nationwide.
Essex County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Essex County has 1 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Essex County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Petersburg ci…
Petersburg ci… 46.8%
46.8 % low-access
- James City
James City 46.7%
46.7 % low-access
- Botetourt
Botetourt 45.8%
45.8 % low-access
- Essex
Essex 44.1%
44.1 % low-access
- Radford city
Radford city 43.3%
43.3 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,151 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,917 |
| Low-Access Share | 44.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,849 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,623 |
| Median Household Income | $56,520 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 571 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Essex County
Essex County has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 6
- dunnsville one stop, dunnsville
- queen street express sunoco, tappahannock
- raceway 981, tappahannock
- sheetz 290, tappahannock
- sunnyside grocery, tappahannock
- wawa store 8682, tappahannock
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 3059, tappahannock
- dollar tree 764, tappahannock
- family dollar store 1178, tappahannock
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- watt's & sons supermarket, millers tavern
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 1730, tappahannock
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 453, tappahannock
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Essex County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Counties near Essex County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Essex County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (44.1% here).
- Delaware County, OH · 44.1% low-access
- Delaware County, OH · 44.1% low-access
- Nassau County, FL · 44.0% low-access
- McHenry County, IL · 44.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (12.8% here).
- Henderson County, TX · 12.8% SNAP
- Henderson County, TX · 12.8% SNAP
- Harrison County, TX · 12.8% SNAP
- Harrison County, TX · 12.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Essex County inside a higher low-access state context
Essex County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Essex County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51057. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.