PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maryland

Garrett County, MD

Garrett County'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.

14.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.1%
on SNAP
29K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MD

The food-access picture

14.1% of Garrett County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
7.9%
households, no vehicle
11.2%
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).

Garrett County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.1% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,240 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,253 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 Garrett County compares nationally

Garrett County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.1% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,191).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Garrett County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Garrett 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 Garrett County, MD USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (85.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 86% Limited 0% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Garrett County, MD
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Garrett County vs. other Maryland counties

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

% 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 Garrett County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)30,097
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population4,240
Low-Access Share14.1%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,253

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Garrett County
IndicatorValue
Population28,615
Median Household Income$67,688
Poverty Rate11.2%below the national average
SNAP Households1,903
SNAP Participation Rate15.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.9%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.4%
SNAP participation in Garrett County 15.1%

About 15.1% of Garrett County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 14.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,903 households here.
  • 7.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Garrett County

near the national share

1 of Garrett County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 4,240 residents, roughly 14.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,253 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (85.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Garrett County

Garrett County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 14

  • bfs foods 46, mchenry
  • bfs foods 47, oakland
  • bfs foods 66, grantsville
  • bfs foods 69, grantsville
  • bfs foods 70, oakland
  • bfs foods 71, accident
  • bfs foods 73, friendsville
  • deep creek grocery gas & liquor llc, swanton
  • grantsville exxon 200, grantsville
  • hartmans accident liberty inc., accident
  • par mar store 193, oakland
  • pilot travel center 408, grantsville
  • sheetz 147, oakland
  • winner circle, oakland

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 4102, oakland
  • dollar general 14530, accident
  • dollar general 0892, oakland
  • dollar general 15219, mchenry
  • dollar general 20558, oakland
  • dollar general 20989, grantsville
  • dollar general 2116, grantsville
  • dollar general 22213, friendsville
  • dollar general 24136, oakland
  • dollar tree 3232, oakland
  • ma & pa's country store, oakland
  • walgreens 12266, oakland

Farmers' Market · 3

  • deep creek farmers market, inc, mchenry
  • mountain fresh farmers market, oakland
  • mountain fresh farmers market, oakland

Super Store · 3

  • deep creek shop n save, mchenry
  • oakland shop n save express, oakland
  • walmart supercenter 2894, oakland

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • casselman market, grantsville
  • hilltop candyland, grantsville

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • stop & save foods, oakland
  • this n that grocery, oakland

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • the butcher block, oakland

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Maryland

Allegany County
30.4% low-access · 21.0% SNAP
Anne Arundel County
33.7% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Baltimore city
4.5% low-access · 23.2% SNAP
Baltimore County
21.8% low-access · 11.3% SNAP
Calvert County
38.6% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Caroline County
9.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP

Compare Garrett County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →

Food access nationally, Maryland in context

Garrett County sits inside Maryland (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 Garrett County has low food access? ▼
14.1% of residents in Garrett County, MD 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 Garrett County? ▼
15.1% of households in Garrett County receive SNAP, covering 1,903 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Garrett County? ▼
The poverty rate in Garrett County, MD is 11.2%, with a median household income of $67,688 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Garrett County a food desert? ▼
1 of Garrett County's 7 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 Garrett County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.9% of households in Garrett 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.