Signature · 5.5% low-access (11th pct)

Gloucester County, VA

Gloucester County lands in the lower national band on low-access (5.5%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

5.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
7.1%
on SNAP
40K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

USDA FARA access plate

County Gloucester County, VA

LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-ADEQUATE 5.5% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -16.6 pts vs US
  • LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
  • SNAP-LIGHT 7.1% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 2.1% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 13% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Caroline County ( -0.2 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Gloucester County lands in the lower national band (5.5%, #2,788 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,788
national by low-access %
#104
in VA
1
low-access tracts
575
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 5.5% low-access (11th pct) (-16.6 pts vs U.S. low-access).

How Gloucester County compares nationally

Food access in Gloucester County compares favorably nationally: its 5.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 11% of them (rank #2,789).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Gloucester County's lower-band USDA tier split

8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Gloucester County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (87.5%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 88% Limited 0% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Gloucester County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Gloucester County has 1 urban and 7 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.

Gloucester County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Gloucester County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)36,858
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,042
Low-Access Share5.5%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population575

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Gloucester County
IndicatorValue
Population39,526
Median Household Income$84,306
Poverty Rate5.2%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,089
SNAP Participation Rate7.1%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%

Thick SNAP store book in Gloucester County

Gloucester County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 16

  • 7-eleven 10848j, hayes
  • 7-eleven 20570k, saluda
  • 7-eleven inc 34309h, gloucester
  • 7-eleven inc f 19634a, gloucester
  • 7-eleven inc f 34065a, gloucester
  • 7-eleven inc f 34314, gloucester
  • 7-eleven, inc. 34068j, hayes
  • 7-eleven 34067a, hayes
  • achilles shopping center, hayes
  • adner express mart, saluda
  • gloucester point speedway, gloucester point
  • joe's kwik mart 8402, gloucester
  • love food mart 19, hayes
  • murphy usa 7632, gloucester
  • stop & go, gloucester point
  • wawa 652, hayes

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 18229, gloucester
  • dollartree 10234, hayes
  • dollar general 1844, hayes
  • dollar general 2682, gloucester
  • dollar tree 0382, gloucester
  • dollar tree 4211, hayes
  • family dollar store 1983, hayes
  • walgreens 11298, hayes

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 80028, gloucester
  • food lion 1472, gloucester
  • food lion 610, hayes

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 577, hayes
  • walmart supercenter 1759, gloucester

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • crabs express, gloucester

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • mustard seed natural market, hayes

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Virginia

One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.

Compare Gloucester County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Counties near Gloucester County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Gloucester County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside VA (5.5% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (7.1% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Gloucester County inside a lower low-access state context

Gloucester County sits inside Virginia (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 Gloucester County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51073. 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.