County food-access profile · North Carolina
Franklin County, NC
Most of Franklin County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 4.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 12.4%
- on SNAP
- 74K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
4.2% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 3.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.1%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Franklin County fares better than most: just 4.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 12 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,571 people who live far from a supermarket, and 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,315 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 Franklin County compares nationally
Food access in Franklin County compares favorably nationally: its 4.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 9% of them (rank #2,859).
Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 12 census tracts in Franklin County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Franklin County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Franklin 4.2
Franklin County, NC
4.2 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 60,619 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,571 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,315 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 74,386 |
| Median Household Income | $74,240 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,551 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 12.4% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 4.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,551 households here.
- 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Franklin County
below the national share
3 of Franklin County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 2,571 residents, roughly 4.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,315 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Franklin County
Franklin County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 25
- duke's mini mart, louisburg
- ets quick stop, youngsville
- eagle mart, louisburg
- five star grocery 2, louisburg
- floyd's grocery inc, louisburg
- fuel express mart, llc, franklinton
- in & out 3, franklinton
- in & out mart, franklinton
- k s justice grocery, louisburg
- kearney grocery, louisburg
- murphy express 8570, louisburg
- r & r food mart, zebulon
- ravi enterprises inc., franklinton
- rincon hispano mini mart, louisburg
- rose mart 17387, youngsville
- rose mart 17398, youngsville
- royal food mart, louisburg
- starmart, louisburg
- sheetz 485, louisburg
- speedway 6977, youngsville
- speedway 8218, louisburg
- speedway 8292, franklinton
- speedway 8679, bunn
- tim's mini mart, inc., louisburg
- variety mart, louisburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 18
- cvs pharmacy 3831, louisburg
- cvs pharmacy 8959, youngsville
- dollar general 1425, franklinton
- dollar general 18665, louisburg
- dollar general 6285, bunn
- dollar general 7225, louisburg
- dollar general 15180, louisburg
- dollar general 15257, youngsville
- dollar general 21331, louisburg
- dollar general 9869, youngsville
- dollar tree 398, louisburg
- dollar tree 5482, franklinton
- family dollar 1035, franklinton
- family dollar 11648, zebulon
- family dollar store 113, louisburg
- family dollar store 6023, bunn
- family dollar store 7824, youngsville
- walgreens 11838, louisburg
Supermarket · 5
- charlie c's iga 770, louisburg
- food lion 1421, franklinton
- food lion 2109, bunn
- food lion 99, louisburg
- food lion 2686, youngsville
Farmers' Market · 2
- main street market of franklinton, llc, franklinton
- the franklinton market, franklinton
Super Store · 2
- moss foods inc, louisburg
- walmart superstore 1953, louisburg
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- la potosina, youngsville
Small Grocery Store · 1
- el super grocery inc., louisburg
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Franklin County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Franklin County sits inside North Carolina (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 Franklin County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Franklin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Franklin 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.