PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Georgetown County, SC

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Georgetown 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).

26.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
11.5%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

26.4% of Georgetown County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
15.0%
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 Georgetown County's low-access share at 26.4%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,878 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,813 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 Georgetown County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Georgetown County's 26.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,194 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Georgetown County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Georgetown 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 Georgetown County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (42.9%) 4 tracts limited (28.6%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 43% Limited 29% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Georgetown County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Georgetown County vs. other South Carolina counties

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

% 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 Georgetown County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)60,158
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population15,878
Low-Access Share26.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,813

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Georgetown County
IndicatorValue
Population64,811
Median Household Income$68,713
Poverty Rate15.0%near the national average
SNAP Households3,112
SNAP Participation Rate11.5%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Georgetown County 11.5%

About 11.5% of Georgetown County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,112 households here.
  • 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Georgetown County

above the national share

4 of Georgetown County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 15,878 residents, roughly 26.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,813 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Georgetown County

Georgetown County has 79 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 40 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 40

  • 51 express, georgetown
  • 7-eleven #42155h 42155h, murrells inlet
  • andrews party shop, andrews
  • community exchange, georgetown
  • circle k 2720790, murrells inlet
  • circle k 2723058, pawleys island
  • circle k 2723491, pawleys island
  • circle k 2723873, georgetown
  • circle k 2723879, georgetown
  • circle k 272791, georgetown
  • coastal pantry 2, georgetown
  • country corner, andrews
  • country corner # 6, andrews
  • country corner # 7, andrews
  • country corner #4, hemingway
  • country corner 12, andrews
  • express market, georgetown
  • exxon, georgetown
  • exxon, andrews
  • have a ball produce, andrews
  • highmarket yash llc, georgetown
  • hot spot 1103, pawleys island
  • inlet shell, murrells inlet
  • joe's kwik mart 7012, georgetown
  • money saver, georgetown
  • money saver 2, georgetown
  • panthers, georgetown
  • parker's 94, georgetown
  • parker's 95, georgetown
  • refuel 1035, murrells inlet
  • refuel 74, pawleys island
  • refuel 76, georgetown
  • shreya one, georgetown
  • smith's country store & gas, georgetown
  • speedway 4564, georgetown
  • speedway 4593, pawleys island
  • stop n shop 0, andrews
  • sunhouse, georgetown
  • sunoco, georgetown
  • winyah one stop, georgetown

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • cvs pharmacy 7016, pawleys island
  • cvs pharmacy 7359, georgetown
  • dollar general 1183, pawleys island
  • dollar general 19352, georgetown
  • dollar general 4043, andrews
  • dollar general 8923, georgetown
  • dollartree 8559, murrells inlet
  • dollar general 12138, georgetown
  • dollar general 13371, pawleys island
  • dollar general 13640, georgetown
  • dollar general 17720, georgetown
  • dollar general 17925, georgetown
  • dollar tree 523, georgetown
  • dollar tree 5450, pawleys island
  • dollar tree 8567, andrews
  • family dollar store 152, andrews
  • roses express 676, georgetown
  • walgreens 7956, pawleys island
  • walgreens 9834, georgetown

Supermarket · 12

  • aldi 66146, pawleys island
  • food lion 1198, pawleys island
  • food lion 1389, andrews
  • food lion 1583, murrells inlet
  • food lion 456, georgetown
  • food lion 706, georgetown
  • food lion 2859, pawleys island
  • lowes foods 259, pawleys island
  • piggly wiggly 160, georgetown
  • piggly wiggly 357, andrews
  • publix 1478, pawleys island
  • the fresh market 107, pawleys island

Seafood Specialty · 4

  • georgetown seafood co inc, georgetown
  • harrelsons seafood market, murrells inlet
  • poston & son, llc, georgetown
  • seven seas seafood georgetown 2, georgetown

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • foodshare georgetown, georgetown

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • lees farm, murrells inlet

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • w. t. owens & sons, hemingway

Super Store · 1

  • walmart s/c 625, georgetown

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Georgetown County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Georgetown County sits inside South Carolina (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 Georgetown County has low food access? ▼
26.4% of residents in Georgetown County, SC 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 Georgetown County? ▼
11.5% of households in Georgetown County receive SNAP, covering 3,112 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Georgetown County? ▼
The poverty rate in Georgetown County, SC is 15.0%, with a median household income of $68,713 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Georgetown County a food desert? ▼
4 of Georgetown County's 14 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 Georgetown County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Georgetown 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.