County food-access profile · Texas
Galveston County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Galveston 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).
- 34.5%
- low-access pop.
- 11
- food-desert tracts
- 10.5%
- on SNAP
- 359K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.5% of Galveston County residents live in a low-access area, and 11 of its 66 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 37
- low-access tracts
- 25K
- food-desert residents
- 5.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.7%
- 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 Galveston County's low-access share at 34.5%, above the national share. 37 of the county's 66 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 100,542 people. 11 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 25,207 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 Galveston County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Galveston County's 34.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #628 most-affected nationwide.
Galveston County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 66 census tracts in Galveston County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Galveston County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Galveston
Galveston County, TX
34.5 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 66 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 291,309 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 37 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 11 |
| Low-Access Population | 100,542 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 25,207 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 358,990 |
| Median Household Income | $86,105 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 14,723 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 10.5% of Galveston County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 14,723 households here.
- 5.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 11 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 Galveston County
above the national share
11 of Galveston County's 66 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
A further 26 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 37.
An estimated 100,542 residents, roughly 34.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 25,207 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 29 tracts (43.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Galveston County
Galveston County has 273 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 154 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 154
- 44th & s mini mart 1, galveston
- 53 rd mini mart, galveston
- 7 days food store, galveston
- 7-eleven 41665h, league city
- 7-eleven 41669h, galveston
- 7-eleven 41778h, dickinson
- always market #4, texas city
- amburn food mart, texas city
- angels grocery, dickinson
- angels kemah, llc 0, kemah
- ayman food store, hitchcock
- bacliff grocery & deli 18, bacliff
- ball food mart, galveston
- bay vue grocery, crystal beach
- best handi stop #38, dickinson
- bob's meat and grocery, galveston
- bori-mex, dickinson
- broadway corner store, galveston
- broadway food mart, galveston
- broadway mini mart, galveston
- bucksaver 110, la marque
- cat corner, league city
- cedar food mart, la marque
- charge up 27, texas city
- checkpoint #107, galveston
- circle k 2741472, league city
- circle k 2742271, texas city
- circle k 2742322, friendswood
- circle k 2742362, bacliff
- circle k 2742618, galveston
- city snack n gas store, texas city
- corner shell, texas city
- corner store 2741914, league city
- cruise plaza grocery, inc., galveston
- d'ambra meat market & grocery, galveston
- delta food store, texas city
- dickinson express mart, dickinson
- dickinson food mart #1, dickinson
- dickinson food store, dickinson
- dickinson quick stop, dickinson
- dikes food mart, texas city
- express 146, bacliff
- express lane valero 24, texas city
- express mart, texas city
- ferry road food mart inc., galveston
- first stop food store, friendswood
- first stop food store 27, hitchcock
- food mart, kemah
- fresco mart, galveston
- fuel depot 45, texas city
- fuel plus 8, texas city
- fuel up, texas city
- galveston food & gas, galveston
- gas & grub food store, hitchcock
- gas-n-go food mart, texas city
- gopinath food corner, league city
- grab-all drive-in grocery, alta loma
- grab-n-go, texas city
- green caye convenience store, dickinson
- h & r # 2, galveston
- handi stop #114, galveston
- heard's lane food store, galveston
- high island mart, high island
- in & out food mart, la marque
- in & out food mart, galveston
- island food store, galveston
- kc's stop n shop, dickinson
- kwik stop, la marque
- klm food mart, texas city
- korner food mart, dickinson
- la marque food mart, la marque
- la mejor grocery, dickinson
- la-marque c-store llc, la marque
- little chief mini market, texas city
- lou's super market, bacliff
- lucky way food store, galveston
- mark's corner, texas city
- meera mexican food n meat supermarket, bacliff
- mercadito y taqueria, galveston
- merco supermarket, galveston
- mike's, la marque
- mike's, la marque
- mini grocery market, la marque
- mn foods, dickinson
- monty's mart, dickinson
- murphy usa 6779, kemah
- murphy usa 7729, la marque
- murphy usa 7787, galveston
- new huggy bears 1, galveston
- on the way food mart, santa fe
- one stop mini mart, bacliff
- one stop shop 1, la marque
- oriental food store, dickinson
- palmer food mart, texas city
- papa keith's #11, san leon
- pitstop express #15, texas city
- porky's #21, dickinson
- prime mart 41, santa fe
- quick run, texas city
- roadstar #15, dickinson
- roadtrac #7, texas city
- rozi mini mart, alvin
- runge mart, santa fe
- s s express mart 00001, la marque
- stop n go 02546 2742546, la marque
- stop n go 2614 2743714, santa fe
- stripes 40988, league city
- santa fe grocery, santa fe
- seasons food store, galveston
- seawall exxon mart, galveston
- seawall groceries, galveston
- shop n drive, galveston
- sk quick mart, texas city
- south island food mart, galveston
- southshore shell, league city
- spark plus, la marque
- spark plus #2, la marque
- speed fuel, dickinson
- speed fuel, texas city
- speed stop, galveston
- speedway 9800, texas city
- speedy express # 43, la marque
- speedy express #21, galveston
- speedy express #36, friendswood
- speedy mart, galveston
- star food, texas city
- star food store, galveston
- star stop 27, la marque
- stewart food mart 1, galveston
- super brownies, dickinson
- swedes grocery store, crystal beach
- t j's grocery mart, port bolivar
- tl mini express, league city
- texas city chevron, texas city
- texas city food mart 01, texas city
- time out food mart, santa fe
- timewise food store 144, la marque
- timewise food store 205, league city
- timewise food store 210, texas city
- timewise food store 221, dickinson
- timewise food store 322, santa fe
- tmewise food store 156, texas city
- tristar 2, galveston
- tristar# 3, galveston
- valero corner store 2143, bacliff
- valero corner store 2742018, galveston
- valero corner store 2742101, hitchcock
- valero corner store 2742363, galveston
- valero corner store 2742608, galveston
- valero food mart, dickinson
- walkers gas station, galveston
- west end food store, galveston
- zacatecas mini mart, dickinson
- zoom corner store #2, texas city
Combination Grocery/Other · 67
- cvs 10598, la marque
- cvs pharmacy inc 7094, league city
- cvs pharmacy inc 7756, galveston
- cvs/ pharmacy 6248, dickinson
- cvs/ pharmacy 6319, texas city
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 3234, santa fe
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 5519, league city
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7821, league city
- cvs/pharmacy 6736, galveston
- dollar general 1444, texas city
- dollar general 18101, santa fe
- dollar general 18673, santa fe
- dollar general 18817, crystal beach
- dollar general 283, la marque
- dollar general 6031, texas city
- dollar general 7048, bacliff
- dollar general 7436, league city
- dollar general 831, dickinson
- dollar general 9648, texas city
- dollar general 9672, hitchcock
- dollar tree plus 8938, galveston
- dollartree 8079, santa fe
- dollar general 11470, galveston
- dollar general 11540, santa fe
- dollar general 12332, texas city
- dollar general 12879, dickinson
- dollar general 13450, san leon
- dollar general 14981, alvin
- dollar general 15626, texas city
- dollar general 17596, galveston
- dollar general 21135, la marque
- dollar general 24121, la marque
- dollar general 24565, kemah
- dollar general 30046, league city
- dollar general store 16919, hitchcock
- dollar tree 2151, galveston
- dollar tree 4075, league city
- dollar tree 4638, friendswood
- dollar tree 5535, league city
- dollar tree 7200, la marque
- dollar tree 7528, texas city
- dollar tree 7690, league city
- dollar tree 8527, hitchcock
- dollar tree 899, kemah
- family dollar 11343, galveston
- family dollar 1389, texas city
- family dollar 1701, hitchcock
- family dollar 2058, league city
- family dollar 2632, texas city
- family dollar 7216, galveston
- family dollar 8794, galveston
- family dollar 8939, crytal beach
- family dollar store 7959, bacliff
- family dollar store 8455, dickinson
- walgreens 03420, galveston
- walgreens 03760, league city
- walgreens 05833, la marque
- walgreens 06089, dickinson
- walgreens 07020, friendswood
- walgreens 07178, dickinson
- walgreens 09062, galveston
- walgreens 09165, dickinson
- walgreens 09507, friendswood
- walgreens 06566, league city
- walgreens 10451, league city
- walgreens 10583, texas city
- walgreens 10596, league city
Super Store · 12
- foodarama 5, texas city
- gcm the big store, crystal beach
- kroger 241, dickinson
- kroger 302, galveston
- kroger 734, league city
- kroger 743, friendswood
- kroger co 108, texas city
- kroger 144, league city
- kroger 398, league city
- sam's club 4702, friendswood
- sam's club 8190, la marque
- target store t 1377, kemah
Seafood Specialty · 5
- boyd's one stop, texas city
- discount seafood market, texas city
- hillmans seafood cafe inc, dickinson
- katie's seafood market, galveston
- sabika center, santa fe
Large Grocery Store · 3
- a&m grocery, galveston
- oaxaca market, dickinson
- supermercados teloloapan 22, galveston
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- aj's meat market & smokehouse, dickinson
- dorecks meat market llc, santa fe
- stone cold meats llc, league city
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- bayview grocery, texas city
- grocery services inc 36, league city
- la mejor meat market, bacliff
Small Grocery Store · 2
- new lawrence grocery, dickinson
- new m & m foods, hitchcock
Farmers' Market · 1
- galveston's own farmers market, galveston
Showing 250 of 273 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Galveston County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Galveston County sits inside Texas (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
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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.