Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Gates County, NC
Gates County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 25.9% low-access.
- 25.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.0%
- on SNAP
- 10K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Gates County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 25.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +3.8 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Henderson County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Gates County ranks #1,221 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #22 of 100 counties in NC (25.9% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,221
- national by low-access %
- #22
- in NC
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 962
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Gates County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Gates County's 25.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,225 most-affected nationwide.
Gates County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Gates County has 0 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Gates County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Gates
Gates 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Henderson
Henderson 25.7%
25.7 % low-access
- Wake
Wake 25.4%
25.4 % low-access
- Lincoln
Lincoln 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Davidson
Davidson 25.2%
25.2 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 12,197 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,162 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 962 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,376 |
| Median Household Income | $66,333 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 585 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
SNAP retailers in Gates County
Gates County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (50% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 9773, gatesville
- dollar general 16009, gates
- dollar general 22761, corapeake
- family dollar 8797, sunbury
Convenience Store · 3
- duck thru food store 43, gatesville
- duck thru food store 52, hobbsville
- new daves place, eure
Supermarket · 1
- family foods of gatesville, inc., gates
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Gates County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Gates County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Gates County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (25.9% here).
- Polk County, OR · 25.9% low-access
- Polk County, OR · 25.9% low-access
- Wright County, MN · 25.9% low-access
- Wright County, MN · 25.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (14.0% here).
- Schenectady County, NY · 14.0% SNAP
- Schenectady County, NY · 14.0% SNAP
- Trumbull County, OH · 14.0% SNAP
- Trumbull County, OH · 14.0% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Gates County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Gates County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37073. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.