County food-access profile · Virginia
Fauquier County, VA
Fauquier 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.
- 13.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.8%
- on SNAP
- 75K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.7% of Fauquier County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 753
- food-desert residents
- 3.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.8%
- 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).
Fauquier County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.7% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 17 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,906 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 Fauquier County compares nationally
Fauquier County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.7% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,224).
Fauquier County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 census tracts in Fauquier County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Fauquier County vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Fauquier
Fauquier County, VA
13.7 % 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 | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 65,203 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,906 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 753 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 74,577 |
| Median Household Income | $130,189 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.8%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,288 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.5% |
About 4.8% of Fauquier County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 4.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,288 households here.
- 3.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $130,189 with a 6.8% 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 Fauquier County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 8,906 residents, roughly 13.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 753 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (82.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Fauquier County
Fauquier County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- 7-eleven inc f 34038, warrenton
- 7-eleven store 23412b, warrenton
- 7-eleven, inc. 34508j, bealeton
- 7-eleven 16701b 16701b, warrenton
- 7-eleven 23496b, bealeton
- nick's country store and deli, bealeton
- nick's market and deli, warrenton
- royal farms 377, bealton
- sheetz 221, bealeton
- sheetz 243, warrenton
- sheetz 674, bealeton
- wawa 8622, warrenton
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 1381, warrenton
- dollar general 0464, warrenton
- dollar general 15111, catlett
- dollar general 23247, warrenton
- dollar general store 15822, bealeton
- dollar tree 505, warrenton
- family dollar store 3681, bealeton
- walgreens 09383, warrenton
- walgreens 18298, bealeton
Supermarket · 4
- food lion 1588, marshall
- food lion 378, warrenton
- food lion 738, bealeton
- safeway 1801, warrenton
Super Store · 3
- giant food 778, warrenton
- harris teeter 329, warrenton
- walmart supercenter 2437, warrenton
Farmers' Market · 1
- remington farmers market, remington
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- messick's farm market llc, bealeton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- olivos market, bealeton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Fauquier County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Fauquier County 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 Fauquier County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Fauquier County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Fauquier County? ▼
Is Fauquier County a food desert? ▼
What share of Fauquier County 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.