PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Gibson County, TN

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

21.5%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
16.5%
on SNAP
51K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

21.5% of Gibson County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
6.6%
households, no vehicle
13.7%
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 Gibson County's low-access share at 21.5%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,688 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,273 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 Gibson County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Gibson County's 21.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,567 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Gibson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Gibson 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 Gibson County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (64.3%) 1 tracts limited (7.1%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 64% Limited 7% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Gibson County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Gibson County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Gibson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,683
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population10,688
Low-Access Share21.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,273

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Gibson County
IndicatorValue
Population50,869
Median Household Income$62,755
Poverty Rate13.7%near the national average
SNAP Households3,366
SNAP Participation Rate16.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Gibson County 16.5%

About 16.5% of Gibson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,366 households here.
  • 6.6% 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 Gibson County

above the national share

4 of Gibson 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 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 10,688 residents, roughly 21.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,273 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (64.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Gibson County

Gibson County has 55 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 26 locations (47% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 26

  • cvs pharmacy 7793, trenton
  • dollar general 10539, three way
  • dollar general 11054, bradford
  • dollar general 1258, humboldt
  • dollar general 1261, milan
  • dollar general 214, trenton
  • dollar general 3973, rutherford
  • dollar general 7088, dyer
  • dollar general 7542, medina
  • dollar general 15648, kenton
  • dollar general 16463, gibson
  • dollar general 22082, dyer
  • dollar general 30792, trenton
  • dollar general 31030, humboldt
  • dollar general store 16493, milan
  • dollar tree 3481, milan
  • dollar tree 5945, humboldt
  • family dollar 12886, medina
  • family dollar 633, trenton
  • little general 3227, humboldt
  • little general 3232, rutherford
  • little general 3239, trenton
  • marathon 3236, dyer
  • shell 3247, humboldt
  • shell 3249, medina
  • stockyard market, trenton

Convenience Store · 17

  • alex mini mart, humboldt
  • bradford quick shop, bradford
  • casey's 4595, milan
  • express mart, humboldt
  • hilltop grocery, bradford
  • m&o convenient store ,llc, trenton
  • maverick quick shop inc, humboldt
  • murphy usa 7295, humboldt
  • murphy usa 7296, milan
  • needee neighborhood 1, milan
  • northside market, milan
  • pockets 116, milan
  • quick mart, milan
  • quick shop, trenton
  • skylight food mart, milan
  • speed mart, trenton
  • swami shreeji inc, milan

Supermarket · 7

  • food giant 539, medina
  • food rite 10, trenton
  • food rite 22, dyer
  • food rite 32, kenton
  • food rite 72, trenton
  • houchens save-a-lot 632, milan
  • hays cash saver 2, humboldt

Super Store · 3

  • ruler 348, milan
  • walmart supercenter 104, milan
  • walmart supercenter 120, humboldt

Farmers' Market · 1

  • milan farmers market, milan

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • bradford bestway, bradford

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Gibson County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Gibson County sits inside Tennessee (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 Gibson County has low food access? ▼
21.5% of residents in Gibson County, TN 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 Gibson County? ▼
16.5% of households in Gibson County receive SNAP, covering 3,366 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Gibson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Gibson County, TN is 13.7%, with a median household income of $62,755 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Gibson County a food desert? ▼
4 of Gibson 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 Gibson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.6% of households in Gibson 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.