Signature · 3 LILA tracts (60% of tracts)
Fairfield County, SC
Fairfield County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (60% of the book) alongside 23.4% low-access.
- 23.4%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 21.0%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Fairfield County, SC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 23.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 21.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 60% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Horry County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Fairfield County ranks #1,405 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #20 of 45 counties in SC (23.4% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,405
- national by low-access %
- #20
- in SC
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (60% of tracts) .
How Fairfield County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Fairfield County's 23.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,405 most-affected nationwide.
Fairfield County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Fairfield County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Fairfield County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in South Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Beaufort
Beaufort 49%
49 % low-access
- Dorchester
Dorchester 25%
25 % low-access
- Fairfield
Fairfield 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Horry
Horry 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Oconee
Oconee 22.8%
22.8 % low-access
- Charleston
Charleston 20.8%
20.8 % low-access
- Barnwell 0
Barnwell 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,956 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,606 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,512 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,550 |
| Median Household Income | $47,885 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,879 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.0%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Fairfield County
Fairfield County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 29 authorized stores; Winnsboro holds 69% of them. 4 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Ridgeway, Jenkinsville, Blair, Great Falls.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Winnsboro | 20 | 2 |
| Ridgeway | 5 | none |
| Jenkinsville | 2 | none |
| Blair | 1 | none |
| Great Falls | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 17
- am pm food stop, ridgeway
- colonel creek market, ridgeway
- country mart 0861340, great falls
- cuz's corner, winnsboro
- cuzs mart, winnsboro
- ez mart, jenkinsville
- jenkinsville gas & food, jenkinsville
- mp mart, winnsboro
- mini mart 1, winnsboro
- pmg bw 205, ridgeway
- pilot travel center 4578, winnsboro
- pops 333, winnsboro
- pops 539, winnsboro
- ridgeway kwik stop 0, ridgeway
- skd minimart, winnsboro
- sks food mart, winnsboro
- strawberry patch, winnsboro
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 5474, winnsboro
- dollar general 11312, ridgeway
- dollar general 18143, blair
- dollar general 7254, winnsboro
- dollar general 25916, winnsboro
- dollar tree 929, winnsboro
- family dollar 11963, winnsboro
- rose's express 667, winnsboro
Supermarket · 2
- food lion 2823, winnsboro
- kj's market-winnsboro 647, winnsboro
Farmers' Market · 1
- fairfield farmers and artisans market, winnsboro
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- foodshare fairfield, winnsboro
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in South Carolina
One of 45 counties in South Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Fairfield County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Fairfield County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Fairfield County, both outside South Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside SC (23.4% here).
- Tioga County, PA · 23.4% low-access
- Monroe County, PA · 23.4% low-access
- Salem city, VA · 23.4% low-access
- Ulster County, NY · 23.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside SC (21.0% here).
- Lawrence County, OH · 21.0% SNAP
- Charlotte County, VA · 21.0% SNAP
- Clay County, MS · 21.0% SNAP
- Dorchester County, MD · 21.0% 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.
South Carolina among South Atlantic states
South Carolina ranks 2nd of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (28.7%). Fairfield County, at 23.4%, runs 5.3 pts below the South Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Fairfield County, SC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 45039. 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.