County food-access profile · Virginia
Fairfax city, VA
Fairfax city'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.
- 10.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 3.1%
- on SNAP
- 25K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.7% of Fairfax city residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 359
- food-desert residents
- 5.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.1%
- 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).
Fairfax city's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.7% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,426 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Fairfax city compares nationally
Fairfax city lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.7% low-access share that beats 22% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,433).
Fairfax city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Fairfax city, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Fairfax city vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Fairfax city
Fairfax city, VA
10.7 % low-access
- Accomack 2.2
Accomack County, VA
2.2 % low-access
- Albemarle
Albemarle County, VA
11.9 % low-access
- Alexandria city 0
Alexandria city, VA
0 % low-access
- Alleghany
Alleghany County, VA
16.4 % low-access
- Amelia
Amelia County, VA
16.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 22,565 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,426 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 359 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,026 |
| Median Household Income | $132,348 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 286 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 3.1% of Fairfax city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 3.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 286 households here.
- 5.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $132,348 with a 9.1% poverty rate.
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 Fairfax city
near the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 2,426 residents, roughly 10.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 359 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Fairfax city
Fairfax city has 456 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 128 locations (28% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 128
- 7 eleven 10653a, herndon
- 7 eleven 10787, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10761a, alexandria
- 7-eleven #10751c 10751c, alexandria
- 7-eleven 10691b, falls church
- 7-eleven 10709c, alexandria
- 7-eleven 16091b 16091b, herndon
- 7-eleven 22685c, alexandria
- 7-eleven 27068, chantilly
- 7-eleven 34641, springfield
- 7-eleven 35871a, fairfax
- 7-eleven 37144k, alexandria
- 7-eleven 39419a, alexandria
- 7-eleven 40056h, reston
- 7-eleven convenience store 35539b, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10635b, fairfax
- 7-eleven inc f 10647b, fairfax
- 7-eleven inc f 10651a, great falls
- 7-eleven inc f 10657a, herndon
- 7-eleven inc f 10658b, fairfax
- 7-eleven inc f 10672a, fairfax
- 7-eleven inc f 10677b, falls church
- 7-eleven inc f 10678b, falls church
- 7-eleven inc f 10680b, springfield
- 7-eleven inc f 10682a, fairfax
- 7-eleven inc f 10684b, mc lean
- 7-eleven inc f 10689a, annandale
- 7-eleven inc f 10690a, springfield
- 7-eleven inc f 10692a, annandale
- 7-eleven inc f 10696a, vienna
- 7-eleven inc f 10697a, dunn loring
- 7-eleven inc f 10702, mclean
- 7-eleven inc f 10705a, falls church
- 7-eleven inc f 10706a, falls church
- 7-eleven inc f 10707a, springfield
- 7-eleven inc f 10721a, falls church
- 7-eleven inc f 10735a, falls church
- 7-eleven inc f 10762a, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10766a, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10768a, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10770a, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10772a, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10790b, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 10792a, lorton
- 7-eleven inc f 10794b, lorton
- 7-eleven inc f 15801a, springfield
- 7-eleven inc f 17595a, burke
- 7-eleven inc f 24645a, falls church
- 7-eleven inc f 25143b, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 25633a, herndon
- 7-eleven inc f 27118b, centreville
- 7-eleven inc f 28506a, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 28515b, springfield
- 7-eleven inc f 28556a, vienna
- 7-eleven inc f 28559a, alexandria
- 7-eleven inc f 29931a, herndon
- 7-eleven inc f 30479a, springfield
- 7-eleven inc f 32394b, chantilly
- 7-eleven inc f 34627a, burke
- 7-eleven store 40055h, herndon
- 7-eleven store 40058h, herndon
- 7-eleven store 40312h, fairfax
- 7-eleven store 40313h, reston
- 7-eleven store 40314h, alexandria
- 7-eleven store 40388h, fairfax
- 7-eleven store 40398h, fairfax
- 7-eleven store 40414h, fairfax
- 7-eleven store 40419h, fairfax
- 7-eleven #10652d 10652d, vienna
- 7-eleven #10679c 10679c, fairfax
- 7-eleven #10753b 10753b, alexandria
- 7-eleven #10763c 10763c, alexandria
- 7-eleven #10771c 10771c, alexandria
- 7-eleven #21473b 21473b, burke
- 7-eleven #26918c 26918c, reston
- 7-eleven #33599 33599, chantilly
- 7-eleven #34684b 34684b, fairfax
- 7-eleven #40107a 40107a, springfield
- 7-eleven 10643b 10643b, fairfax
- 7-eleven 10668b 10668b, fairfax
- 7-eleven 10688b 10688b, annandale
- 7-eleven 10693b 10693b, vienna
- 7-eleven 10694b, springfield
- 7-eleven 10722, falls church
- 7-eleven 10752b, alexandria
- 7-eleven 10773c 10773c, alexandria
- 7-eleven 10775c, alexandria
- 7-eleven 10781c 10781c, alexandria
- 7-eleven 27267c, centreville
- 7-eleven 28525a, mclean
- 7-eleven 28542b, alexandria
- 7-eleven 28565c 28565c, fairfax
- 7-eleven 34336, alexandria
- 7-eleven 34640c, mclean
- 7-eleven 39244b 39244b, lorton
- 7-eleven 39850a, lorton
- 7-eleven 40060a 40060a, herndon
- 7-eleven 40390a, lorton
- 7-eleven 40392a, fairfax
- aplus 40057h, reston
- aplus 40046h, centreville
- beirut butchery, vienna
- c-more drug store, falls church
- chainbridge shell, fairfax
- e & c enterprises, inc. va500 2018, alexandria
- e & c enterprises, inc. va643 2245, alexandria
- ez stop & go food mart, falls church
- el compadre multiservices inc 1, alexandria
- elsy express, alexandria
- kile mart, reston
- lebanese roastery and market, springfield
- lincolnia exxon, alexandria
- mikes q mart, alexandria
- mcnair farms sunoco, herndon
- mobil braddock rd 11030, alexandria
- pueblito latino, alexandria
- reston town center exxon 20305, reston
- royal farm 152, chantilly
- sanaa international market, falls church
- sheetz 726, herndon
- speedway 2869, alexandria
- super mini mart, alexandria
- tahir and sons llc, springfield
- wawa 8639, chantilly
- wawa 8671, fairfax
- wawa store 8669, vienna
- woodlake grocery, falls church
- zionmart, alexandria
Combination Grocery/Other · 94
- 7-eleven store 10698, annandale
- 7-eleven 20354c, herndon
- abol ethiopian market, falls church
- afghan mini market, springfield
- african grocery and meat market, alexandria
- awash market & butcher shop, falls church
- bailey's market & carry out, falls church
- cvs 2317, falls church
- cvs 5467, fairfax
- cvs pharmacy 1394, alexandria
- cvs pharmacy 1396, reston
- cvs pharmacy 1402, herndon
- cvs pharmacy 1416, centreville
- cvs pharmacy 1417, fairfax
- cvs pharmacy 1419, chantilly
- cvs pharmacy 1840, alexandria
- cvs pharmacy 2004, alexandria
- cvs pharmacy 2006, herndon
- cvs pharmacy 2155, herndon
- cvs pharmacy 2374, alexandria
- cvs pharmacy 10170, vienna
- cvs pharmacy 10320, falls church
- cvs pharmacy 10361, reston
- cvs pharmacy 10684, great falls
- cvs pharmacy 10971, reston
- cvs pharmacy 1377, great falls
- cvs pharmacy 1378, burke
- cvs pharmacy 1383, annandale
- cvs pharmacy 1387, springfield
- cvs pharmacy 1389, oakton
- cvs pharmacy 1390, burke
- cvs pharmacy 1397, mc lean
- cvs pharmacy 1398, springfield
- cvs pharmacy 1399, fairfax
- cvs pharmacy 1403, vienna
- cvs pharmacy 1405, springfield
- cvs pharmacy 1411, falls church
- cvs pharmacy 1957, fairfax
- cvs pharmacy 2003, fairfax
- cvs pharmacy 2100, fairfax station
- cvs pharmacy 2278, alexandria
- cvs pharmacy 2453, fairfax
- cvs/pharmacy 1961, reston
- dollartree 10629, chantilly
- dollartree 11046, fairfax
- dollartree 8740, alexandria
- dollartree 8788, fairfax
- dollartree 8802, fairfax
- dollartree 8934, alexandria
- dollartree 9032, falls church
- dollar general 19314, alexandria
- dollar tree 206, annandale
- dollar tree 225, alexandria
- dollar tree 237, fairfax
- dollar tree 267, alexandria
- dollar tree 366, lorton
- dollar tree 3720, chantilly
- dollar tree 4397, centreville
- dollar tree 4457, annandale
- dollar tree 4461, alexandria
- dollar tree 4715, centreville
- dollar tree 5140, vienna
- dollar tree 5317, alexandria
- dollar tree 5713, herndon
- dollar tree 6469, springfield
- dollar tree 7706, vienna
- dollar tree 919, burke
- dukaan llc, fairfax
- engocha llc, falls church
- euro foods, alexandria
- jsd international market, alexandria
- mena market 1, springfield
- nazret cultural foods llc, falls church
- pho supplies inc, falls church
- saris market, alexandria
- super dollar market, falls church
- tenadam international market, falls church
- ummah market, falls church
- walgreens 10165, herndon
- walgreens 10233, alexandria
- walgreens 10331, centreville
- walgreens 10616, alexandria
- walgreens 10712, fairfax
- walgreens 11297, fairfax
- walgreens 11525, lorton
- walgreens 12800, springfield
- walgreens 13589, vienna
- walgreens 13970, annandale
- walgreens 15444, falls church
- walgreens 17217, alexandria
- walgreens 17465, springfield
- walgreens 17684, alexandria
- walgreens 18089, mclean
- walgreens 19804, alexandria
Large Grocery Store · 10
- al amal market inc, falls church
- desi bazar, springfield
- fair food supermarket inc, falls church
- la vaquita market, alexandria
- makola international market, alexandria
- new a1 grocery, alexandria
- san miguel market, falls church
- super halal, springfield
- the halal depot, falls church
- yas bakery & grocery, vienna
Farmers' Market · 9
- annandale farmers market, annandale
- freshfarm oakton farmers market n/a, oakton
- freshfarm reston farmers market, reston
- freshfarm mosaic market, fairfax
- herndon-reston fish, inc., herndon
- lorton farmers market/arcadia foods inc, lorton
- mt vernon farmers market/arcadia foods inc, alexandria
- reston farmers market, reston
- wakefield farmers market, annandale
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- adum tropical market, alexandria
- al jannat food halal meat and grocery, alexandria
- al makkah mart, chantilly
- ali baba groceries and halal meat, alexandria
- amity halal meat & grocery, chantilly
- amity meat & grocery 1, fairfax
- aphrodite greek imports no, falls church
- asia bazaar, alexandria
Bakery Specialty · 1
- bakhtar bakery, chantilly
Showing 250 of 456 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Fairfax city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Fairfax city sits inside Virginia (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 Fairfax city has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Fairfax city? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Fairfax city? ▼
Is Fairfax city a food desert? ▼
What share of Fairfax city 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.