Signature · 4 LILA tracts (40% of tracts)
Franklin County, VA
Franklin County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (40% of the book) alongside 19.5% low-access.
- 19.5%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 12.8%
- on SNAP
- 55K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Franklin County, VA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 19.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -2.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 40% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Bland County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Franklin County ranks #1,719 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #60 of 123 counties in VA (19.5% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,719
- national by low-access %
- #60
- in VA
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 4 LILA tracts (40% of tracts) .
How Franklin County compares nationally
Franklin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.5% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,719).
Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
Franklin County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (9 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Franklin County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Rockbridge 20
Rockbridge 20%
20 % low-access
- Franklin 19.5
Franklin 19.5%
19.5 % low-access
- Bland 19.5
Bland 19.5%
19.5 % low-access
- Williamsburg … 19.5
Williamsburg … 19.5%
19.5 % low-access
- Tazewell 19.3
Tazewell 19.3%
19.3 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 56,159 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,967 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,462 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 55,130 |
| Median Household Income | $68,849 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,939 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Franklin County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Franklin County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Franklin County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (19.5% here).
- Lebanon County, PA · 19.5% low-access
- Paulding County, OH · 19.5% low-access
- Walsh County, ND · 19.5% low-access
- Custer County, MT · 19.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (12.8% here).
- Henderson County, TX · 12.8% SNAP
- Harrison County, TX · 12.8% SNAP
- Newberry County, SC · 12.8% SNAP
- Tulsa County, OK · 12.8% 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.
Virginia among South Atlantic states
Virginia ranks 8th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (20.4%). Franklin County, at 19.5%, runs 0.9 pts below the Virginia 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 Franklin County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51067. 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.