County food-access profile · Maryland
Frederick County, MD
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Frederick 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).
- 25.9%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 287K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.9% of Frederick County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 61 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 24
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 4.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.0%
- 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 Frederick County's low-access share at 25.9%, above the national share. 24 of the county's 61 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 60,439 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,267 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 Frederick County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Frederick County's 25.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,225 most-affected nationwide.
Frederick County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 61 census tracts in Frederick County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Frederick County vs. other Maryland counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maryland
- Frederick
Frederick County, MD
25.9 % low-access
- Allegany
Allegany County, MD
30.4 % low-access
- Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel County, MD
33.7 % low-access
- Baltimore city 4.5
Baltimore city, MD
4.5 % low-access
- Baltimore
Baltimore County, MD
21.8 % low-access
- Calvert
Calvert County, MD
38.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 61 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 233,385 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 24 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 60,439 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,267 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 287,048 |
| Median Household Income | $122,002 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.0%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,732 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 7.4% of Frederick County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,732 households here.
- 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Frederick County
above the national share
5 of Frederick County's 61 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.2% of all its tracts.
A further 19 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 24.
An estimated 60,439 residents, roughly 25.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,267 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 37 tracts (60.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Frederick County
Frederick County has 147 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 59 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 59
- 7-eleven 28936c, monrovia
- 7-eleven 28960k, thurmont
- 7-eleven inc f 16849d, frederick
- 7-eleven inc f 22002, frederick
- 7-eleven inc f 28961, libertytown
- 7-eleven inc f 39220a, frederick
- 7-eleven 16342e, frederick
- 7-eleven 26706c, frederick
- 7-eleven 28816b, frederick
- 7-eleven 33046b, frederick
- 7-eleven 38646a, walkersville
- 7-eleven 42083a, ijamsville
- a1 choice no, frederick
- asian supermarket 1, frederick
- corner store, brunswick
- dash in 1896, frederick
- fdk groceries, frederick
- frederick bazaar, frederick
- getgo 3841, frederick
- getgo 3843, frederick
- highs of baltimore, llc 10, mt airy
- highs of baltimore, llc 13, middletown
- highs of baltimore, llc 31, woodsboro
- highs of baltimore, llc 49, thurmont
- highs of baltimore, llc 83, new market
- jasmine al-sham mediterranean grill & market, frederick
- jefferson bp, jefferson
- joy convenience, frederick
- mountainview convenience & foodmart, thurmont
- myersville sunoco / springbrook associates 9264, myersville
- new monrovia mart 0, monrovia
- one stop food mart, frederick
- penny mart, frederick
- penny mart 09, emmitsburg
- royal farms 217, urbana
- royal farms 239, frederick
- royal farms 307, frederick
- royal farms 321, frederick
- royal farms 332, frederick
- royal farms 347, frederick
- royal farms 357, frederick
- rutter's 75, walkersville
- rutter's 84, emmitsburg
- rutter's 86, frederick
- sheetz 161, frederick
- sheetz 176, knoxville
- sheetz 200, thurmont
- sheetz 210, walkersville
- sheetz 242, frederick
- sheetz 249, frederick
- sheetz 519, frederick
- sheetz 696, frederick
- sheetz 704, frederick
- sheetz 886, ijamsville
- sheetz 900, ijamsville
- toniq, frederick
- wawa 554, frederick
- wawa 8505, frederick
- wawa 8513, frederick
Combination Grocery/Other · 34
- 7 eleven store 27643c, frederick
- bargain bin, frederick
- cvs 2230, frederick
- cvs 2335, frederick
- cvs pharmacy 1484, frederick
- cvs pharmacy 10203, frederick
- cvs pharmacy 1437, frederick
- cvs pharmacy 1503, middletown
- cvs pharmacy 1509, walkersville
- cvs pharmacy 1518, frederick
- cvs pharmacy 2956, new market
- cvs pharmacy 4650, frederick
- cvs pharmacy 6041, thurmont
- dollar tree 1701, frederick
- dollartree 11025, frederick
- dollar general 11725, frederick
- dollar general 11831, thurmont
- dollar general 11988, frederick
- dollar general 15062, emmitsburg
- dollar general 15987, frederick
- dollar general 21977, walkersville
- dollar general 2437, frederick
- dollar general 4811, brunswick
- dollar tree 1691, frederick
- dollar tree 3991, frederick
- dollar tree 5888, walkersville
- dollar tree 6797, thurmont
- dollar tree 8304, brunswick
- family dollar 13998, frederick
- family dollar store 2274, brunswick
- walgreens 12324, frederick
- walgreens 17333, frederick
- walgreens 18052, brunswick
- walgreens 19380, frederick
Super Store · 19
- common market 007, frederick
- common market food co-op, frederick
- costco wholesale 0330, frederick
- giant eagle 1841, frederick
- giant food 335, frederick
- giant food 346, frederick
- giant eagle 1842, frederick
- h mart frederick, llc, frederick
- hilcres latino market, frederick
- jubilee foods, emmitsburg
- lidl 1488, frederick
- mom's organic market 5, frederick
- megamart supermarket, frederick
- super giant 349, frederick
- sam's club 6652, frederick
- target store 1137, frederick
- walmart 2551, mount airy
- walmart supercenter 2233, frederick
- walmart supercenter 2756, frederick
Supermarket · 19
- aldi 70057 70057, frederick
- aldi 71051, frederick
- food lion 1162, frederick
- food lion 1216, thurmont
- food lion 1238, new market
- food lion 1442, frederick
- food lion 1465, mount airy
- safeway 128, walkersville
- safeway 1559, middletown
- trouts market, woodsboro
- wegmans 54, frederick
- weis markets #90 90, ijamsville
- weis markets 100, frederick
- weis markets 110, frederick
- weis markets 119, mount airy
- weis markets 149, frederick
- weis markets 179, thurmont
- weis markets 239, brunswick
- weis markets 60, frederick
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- halal market, frederick
- international bazaar, frederick
- international market, frederick
- las comadres grocery, frederick
- mi pueblo internatiional market, frederick
- mini market el mana, mount airy
Small Grocery Store · 4
- akwaaba international market, frederick
- ebenezer international store, frederick
- el chapito grocery store llc, walkersville
- el eden international market 2, frederick
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- hemp's meats, jefferson
- shuffs meat market inc, thurmont
Delivery Route · 1
- farm to school frederick veggie van, frederick
Farmers' Market · 1
- field fresh farmers market nafmnp, frederick
Large Grocery Store · 1
- nelia african market, frederick
Military Commissary · 1
- fort detrick commissary 2514, frederick
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Maryland
Compare Frederick County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →
Food access nationally, Maryland in context
Frederick County sits inside Maryland (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 Frederick County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Frederick County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Frederick County? ▼
Is Frederick County a food desert? ▼
What share of Frederick 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.