County food-access profile · Texas
Fort Bend County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Fort Bend County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 29.5%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 6.8%
- on SNAP
- 894K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
29.5% of Fort Bend County residents live in a low-access area, and 10 of its 76 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 44
- low-access tracts
- 35K
- food-desert residents
- 3.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.6%
- 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).
USDA data puts Fort Bend County's low-access share at 29.5%, above the national share. 44 of the county's 76 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 172,779 people. 10 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 34,618 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 Fort Bend County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Fort Bend County's 29.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #967 most-affected nationwide.
Fort Bend County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 76 census tracts in Fort Bend County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Fort Bend County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Fort Bend
Fort Bend County, TX
29.5 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 76 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 585,375 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 44 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 172,779 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 34,618 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 893,767 |
| Median Household Income | $114,041 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 19,922 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
About 6.8% of Fort Bend County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 29.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 19,922 households here.
- 3.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 10 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 Fort Bend County
above the national share
10 of Fort Bend County's 76 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.2% of all its tracts.
A further 34 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 44.
An estimated 172,779 residents, roughly 29.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 34,618 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 32 tracts (42.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County has 382 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 155 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 155
- 1 stop #13, missouri city
- 1 stop food mart llc 2, richmond
- 7-eleven 36523h, sugar land
- 7-eleven 41040h, stafford
- 7-eleven 41250h, katy
- 7-eleven 41630h, richmond
- 7-eleven 41645h, sugar land
- 7-eleven 41659h, missouri city
- 7-eleven store 41117h, missouri city
- 7-eleven, inc. dba stripes 40963h, richmond
- 7-eleven, inc. dba stripes 40970h, rosenberg
- 7-eleven, inc. dba stripes 40971h, richmond
- 7-eleven, inc. dba stripes 40972h, rosenberg
- 7-eleven, inc. dba stripes 41000h, fresno
- 786 truckstop 1, beasley
- a & a food mart 2, richmond
- a & b food mart #2, richmond
- a-1 food store, missouri city
- all season food store, stafford
- airaa food mart, missouri city
- american grocery, rosenberg
- arbat market llc, katy
- arcola express, rosharon
- asian market, sugar land
- awami markaz, sugar land
- b f terry food mart, rosenberg
- barbin super store, needville
- bazaar istanbul #110, katy
- beasley food mart, beasley
- bellaire buzzy bee, richmond
- big 9 food store, stafford
- big z food mart, missouri city
- brass cuisine spices, rosharon
- breaktime at grand, missouri city
- briarwood shell, rosenberg
- bzee spot, richmond
- cartwright food mart, missouri city
- charge up 81, sugar land
- charge up 91, missouri city
- chevron food mart, richmond
- circle k 1481, katy
- circle k 2703356, stafford
- circle k 2740038, richmond
- circle k 2741403, rosenberg
- circle k 2742396, richmond
- city fuels, missouri city
- corner grocery, sugar land
- corner market, rosharon
- corner market 4, houston
- corner station #3, missouri city
- corner stop 1, houston
- corner store 2741436, sugar land
- corner store 2741440, missouri city
- corner store 2741464, richmond
- country mart, fulshear
- dulex valero, sugar land
- e z stop 2, houston
- food spot, richmond
- fast pass market, houston
- fastrac, rosharon
- fifth street food mart, stafford
- first stop food mart, missouri city
- five star shell, stafford
- fondren express, houston
- fresh mart # 4, houston
- freshmart, stafford
- fresno fiesta, fresno
- fuel time, sugar land
- fuqua food mart #1, missouri city
- gulf 125, rosenberg
- guy food mart, guy
- handi stop #120, richmond
- handi stop #29, meadows place
- handi stop #33, richmond
- handi stop #86, missouri city
- handi stop 124, richmond
- handi stop 128, richmond
- handy stop, richmond
- harvest corner food mart, richmond
- heights mini mart, richmond
- honey farms 880833, katy
- honey farms 880847, sugar land
- honey farms 880848, missouri city
- hwy 90 store, sugar land
- independence fuel stop, missouri city
- instant three inc, stafford
- jack's grocery #16, stafford
- jj's mart, houston
- kare market #9, stafford
- katy food mart, katy
- kendleton grocery, kendleton
- kirkwood food mart, stafford
- ksc food mart & smoke, houston
- kwality bazaar, richmond
- kwik check drive in grocery, needville
- labanjee exxon, richmond
- love's travel stops & country stores inc 234, katy
- ma mart, sugar land
- mchard express, houston
- mchard mart, houston
- medina market, richmond
- metro food mart, missouri city
- mi querencia latin market 01, katy
- missouri corner mart, missouri city
- murphy chevron, stafford
- murphy express 8647, missouri city
- murphy express 8806, stafford
- murphy express 8848, sugar land
- murphy usa 5672, richmond
- murphy usa 7453, richmond
- murphy usa 7514, missouri city
- murphy usa 7671, katy
- nicks grocery, richmond
- okay mart, missouri city
- on the road #114, rosenberg
- on the road 106, rosenberg
- one stop, missouri city
- one stop 2, missouri city
- park's fresno food market, fresno
- pick and pay, rosenberg
- pilot travel center 472, beasley
- pleak korner, richmond
- post oak buzzy bee, houston
- primespot # 38, fresno
- pull over, richmond
- quiktrip 4630, katy
- richmond exxon, richmond
- rally stop #4, stafford
- ray's food store, missouri city
- reading road shell, rosenberg
- refuel xpress, stafford
- rising store, stafford
- rosenberg foodmart, rosenberg
- rush 8, needville
- san luis tortilleria & meat market, rosenberg
- shell market, sugar land
- singh mart #3, houston
- singh mart #7, stafford
- speedy stop, stafford
- speedy stop 25, rosenberg
- spice bazaar 01, sugar land
- star food mart, stafford
- star mart, rosenberg
- star stop 101, sugar land
- star stop 39, stafford
- star stop 41, rosenberg
- star stop 52, missouri city
- star stop 54, sugar land
- stop 4 all food store, houston
- stop n bye, rosenberg
- strike, houston
- strike 2, sugar land
- sunny food mart, stafford
- sunny's food mart #1, fresno
- super food store, missouri city
Combination Grocery/Other · 94
- a & g african market, missouri city
- anuoluwa african store, rosenberg
- best indian grocery & cafe, missouri city
- bomir foods, stafford
- cvs 10544, fulshear
- cvs 10637, rosenberg
- cvs 10671, richmond
- cvs 10752, richmond
- cvs pharmacy inc 3701, richmond
- cvs pharmacy inc 4474, missouri city
- cvs pharmacy inc 5907, sugar land
- cvs pharmacy inc 5972, rosenberg
- cvs pharmacy inc 6747, katy
- cvs pharmacy inc 7285, sugar land
- cvs pharmacy inc 7390, missouri city
- cvs pharmacy 10350, sugarland
- cvs pharmacy 10692, sugarland
- cvs pharmacy 11067, missouri city
- cvs pharmacy 11096, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 11098, katy
- cvs/ pharmacy 6896, richmond
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 2249, katy
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 5484, katy
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7459, sugar land
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7805, sugar land
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 8385, stafford
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 8445, missouri city
- dollar general 10212, fulshear
- dollar general 10958, rosenberg
- dollar general 1602, missouri city
- dollar general 18776, beasley
- dollar general 4601, missouri city
- dollar general 6146, needville
- dollar general 6319, richmond
- dollar general 7503, houston
- dollar tree 4483, missouri city
- dollartree 10125, sugar land
- dollartree 9086, missouri city
- dollartree 9456, sugarland
- dollartree 9564, missouri city
- dollar general 10905, rosebburg
- dollar general 12606, missouri city
- dollar general 16341, rosenberg
- dollar general 19645, fresno
- dollar general 23745, rosenberg
- dollar general 24876, needville
- dollar general 25230, sugar land
- dollar general 25250, missouri city
- dollar general 25815, sugar land
- dollar tree 1988, sugar land
- dollar tree 3250, sugar land
- dollar tree 4008, rosenberg
- dollar tree 4214, houston
- dollar tree 5818, sugar land
- dollar tree 5868, rosenberg
- dollar tree 6207, richmond
- dollar tree 7293, sugar land
- dollar tree 7325, missouri city
- dollar tree 7574, richmond
- dollar tree 8590, richmond
- en sisters african market, sugar land
- family dollar 12215, missouri city
- family dollar 12278, needville
- family dollar 1928, rosenberg
- family dollar 3333, missouri city
- family dollar 5658, houston
- family dollar 8977, richmond
- family dollar store 7900, rosenberg
- fort bend donuts, richmond
- indian bazaar and cafe, katy
- man must wack african food market 1, richmond
- walgreens 01169, richmond
- walgreens 01199, richmond
- walgreens 03696, sugar land
- walgreens 06821, meadows place
- walgreens 07213, houston
- walgreens 07491, katy
- walgreens 07531, missouri city
- walgreens 09504, richmond
- walgreens 03324, sugar land
- walgreens 07774, fresno
- walgreens 1157, sugar land
- walgreens 11909, rosenberg
- walgreens 11970, richmond
- walgreens 13062, katy
- walgreens 15681, katy
- walgreens 16065, fulshear
- walgreens 2958, rosenberg
- walgreens 3419, missouri city
- walgreens 4837, missouri city
- walgreens 5965, houston
- walgreens 6783, sugar land
- walgreens 7721, missouri city
- welfresh market, sugar land
Bakery Specialty · 1
- lacaroz 2 inc, houston
Showing 250 of 382 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Fort Bend County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Fort Bend County sits inside Texas (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 Fort Bend County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Fort Bend County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Fort Bend County? ▼
Is Fort Bend County a food desert? ▼
What share of Fort Bend 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.