PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Fredericksburg city, VA

Fredericksburg city's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

16.1%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
10.7%
on SNAP
29K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

16.1% of Fredericksburg city residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
921
food-desert residents
9.6%
households, no vehicle
13.2%
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).

Fredericksburg city's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.1% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,909 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 921 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 Fredericksburg city compares nationally

Fredericksburg city lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.1% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,023).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Fredericksburg city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Fredericksburg city, 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 Fredericksburg city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 0% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Fredericksburg city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Fredericksburg city 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 Fredericksburg city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,286
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population3,909
Low-Access Share16.1%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population921

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Fredericksburg city
IndicatorValue
Population28,873
Median Household Income$86,071
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households1,249
SNAP Participation Rate10.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.6%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population7.7%
SNAP participation in Fredericksburg city 10.7%

About 10.7% of Fredericksburg city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,249 households here.
  • 9.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Fredericksburg city

near the national share

2 of Fredericksburg city's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 3,909 residents, roughly 16.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 921 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Fredericksburg city

Fredericksburg city has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 12

  • 7-eleven 11119j, fredericksburg
  • 7-eleven 25566e, fredericksburg
  • economy food market, fredericksburg
  • fas mart 50, fredericksburg
  • freedom food mart 14, fredericksburg
  • manshu check & cash, fredericksburg
  • royal farms 335, fredericksburg
  • rt 1 bp, fredericksburg
  • sheetz 346, fredericksburg
  • uncle sean's convenient store, fredericksburg
  • wawa 660, fredericksburg
  • wawa 667, fredericksburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • bharat grocery, fredericksburg
  • cvs pharmacy 1565, fredericksburg
  • dollartree 9591, fredericksburg
  • dollar general 4391, fredericksburg
  • dollar tree 0630, fredericksburg
  • family dollar store 10589, fredericksburg
  • family dollar store 3396, fredericksburg
  • fredericksburg food co-op, fredericksburg

Super Store · 4

  • giant food 770, fredericksburg
  • megamart supermarket, fredericksburg
  • target store 772, fredericksburg
  • walmart supercenter 1833, fredericksburg

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • kabul mart, fredericksburg
  • new madina market, fredericksburg
  • sadaqat halal market, fredericksburg

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • finest halal market, fredericksburg
  • olde towne butcher, fredericksburg

Farmers' Market · 1

  • fredericksburg farmers market, fredericksburg

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • la surianita, fredericksburg

Supermarket · 1

  • wegmans 41, fredericksburg

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 Fredericksburg city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Fredericksburg city 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 Fredericksburg city has low food access? ▼
16.1% of residents in Fredericksburg city, 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 Fredericksburg city? ▼
10.7% of households in Fredericksburg city receive SNAP, covering 1,249 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Fredericksburg city? ▼
The poverty rate in Fredericksburg city, VA is 13.2%, with a median household income of $86,071 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Fredericksburg city a food desert? ▼
2 of Fredericksburg city's 6 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Fredericksburg city households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.6% of households in Fredericksburg city 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.