PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Frederick County, VA

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).

33.7%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
5.8%
on SNAP
95K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

33.7% of Frederick County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
3.3%
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).

USDA data puts Frederick County's low-access share at 33.7%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 26,374 people. 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 Frederick County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Frederick County's 33.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #696 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Frederick County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 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).

Food access tier distribution for Frederick County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 7 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (50.0%) 7 tracts limited (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 50% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Frederick County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Frederick County vs. other Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Frederick County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)78,305
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population26,374
Low-Access Share33.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,895

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Frederick County
IndicatorValue
Population95,008
Median Household Income$97,606
Poverty Rate6.8%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,070
SNAP Participation Rate5.8%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%
SNAP participation in Frederick County 5.8%

About 5.8% of Frederick County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,070 households here.
  • 3.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $97,606 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 Frederick County

above the national share

A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 26,374 residents, roughly 33.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,895 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Frederick County

Frederick County has 66 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 35

  • 7-eleven 18775j, winchester
  • 7-eleven 28561k, middletown
  • 7-eleven 32356j, winchester
  • 7-eleven 39701a, winchester
  • 7-eleven inc f 34369a, winchester
  • 7-eleven store 39290h, winchester
  • 7-eleven 15987b 15987b, stephens city
  • abs convenience store, stephens city
  • aum petroleum 5406652800, winchester
  • bo's xpress market 112, winchester
  • cross junction liberty, cross junction
  • handymart 18, winchester
  • handymart 20, winchester
  • handymart 9, stephens city
  • kabul shop, middletown
  • middletown liberty, middletown
  • mk fast fuel llc, winchester
  • murphy express 8712, winchester
  • one stop market, winchester
  • pan d endz, middletown
  • pilot travel center 752, clear brook
  • round hill shopping center, winchester
  • route 50 gasmart, winchester
  • rutter's 116, winchester
  • sheetz 186, winchester
  • sheetz 197, stephens city
  • sheetz 207, winchester
  • sheetz 309, winchester
  • sheetz 808, winchester
  • sheetz 827, middletown
  • state line store, cross junction
  • stateline dollar saver, clear brook
  • valley gas, winchester
  • wawa store 6619, winchester
  • wawa store 8698, winchester

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs 393, winchester
  • cvs pharmacy 1819, stephens city
  • cvs pharmacy 5750, winchester
  • dollartree 11003, winchester
  • dollar general 13007, middletown
  • dollar general 14892, stephens city
  • dollar general 24195, clear brook
  • dollar tree 3622, winchester
  • dollar tree 3961, winchester
  • dollar tree 7803, stephens city
  • gore's processing, inc. fresh meat & deli division, stephens city
  • walgreens 10394, stephens city
  • walgreens 12802, winchester

Small Grocery Store · 6

  • don julio market, stephens city
  • el sol mini market, white post
  • la cosecha, stephens city
  • latino market don toro llc, stephens city
  • orellana grocery 1, winchester
  • sadat halal market, clear brook

Super Store · 4

  • costco wholesale 0239, winchester
  • target 2379, winchester
  • walmart 4514, winchester
  • walmart supercenter 3344, winchester

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 71010, winchester
  • martins food market 6283, winchester
  • martins food market 6295, stephens city
  • martins food market 6299, winchester

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2

  • el tianguis, white post
  • shen-val farm market, stephens city

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • mundo fresco supermarket llc, winchester
  • the king market 1, winchester

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Frederick County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Frederick County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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? ▼
33.7% of residents in Frederick County, VA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Frederick County? ▼
5.8% of households in Frederick County receive SNAP, covering 2,070 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Frederick County? ▼
The poverty rate in Frederick County, VA is 6.8%, with a median household income of $97,606 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Frederick County a food desert? ▼
0 of Frederick County's 14 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Frederick County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.3% of households in Frederick County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.