County food-access profile · Georgia
Gilmer County, GA
Gilmer 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.
- 17.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 9.6%
- on SNAP
- 32K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.3% of Gilmer County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 2.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.0%
- 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).
Gilmer County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.3% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,906 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,003 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 Gilmer County compares nationally
Gilmer County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.3% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,928).
Gilmer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Gilmer County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Gilmer County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Gilmer 17.3
Gilmer County, GA
17.3 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,292 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,906 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,003 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,426 |
| Median Household Income | $74,499 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,247 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
About 9.6% of Gilmer County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,247 households here.
- 2.9% 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 Gilmer County
near the national share
1 of Gilmer County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 4,906 residents, roughly 17.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,003 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Gilmer County
Gilmer County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- citgo food mart, ellijay
- ellijay bp, ellijay
- ellijay mini mart, ellijay
- green country store, ellijay
- murphy usa 6887, ellijay
- new hope grocery, ellijay
- one stop walkers corner, ellijay
- orchard junction, ellijay
- parkway conoco, east ellijay
- rebels food mart, ellijay
- stanley's food, ellijay
- tim buk tu food mart llc, ellijay
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- antigua guatemala 1, ellijay
- cvs pharmacy 7736, ellijay
- dollar general 11129, ellijay
- dollar general 3583, ellijay
- dollar general 12140, ellijay
- dollar general 12628, ellijay
- dollar general 23495, ellijay
- dollar general 24938, ellijay
- dollar tree 2783, ellijay
- walgreens 17697, east ellijay
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 76146, ellijay
- food lion 907, east ellijay
- ingles markets 409, east ellijay
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- north georgia meat company inc, ellijay
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- carniceria y tienda la mexicana, inc., ellijay
Small Grocery Store · 1
- san rafael, ellijay
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 1070, ellijay
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Gilmer County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Gilmer County sits inside Georgia (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
What share of Gilmer County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Gilmer County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Gilmer County? ▼
Is Gilmer County a food desert? ▼
What share of Gilmer County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.