County food-access profile · South Carolina
Greenville County, SC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Greenville 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).
- 35.7%
- low-access pop.
- 18
- food-desert tracts
- 7.6%
- on SNAP
- 548K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
35.7% of Greenville County residents live in a low-access area, and 18 of its 111 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 63
- low-access tracts
- 45K
- food-desert residents
- 4.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.8%
- 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 Greenville County's low-access share at 35.7%, above the national share. 63 of the county's 111 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 161,131 people. 18 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 45,430 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 Greenville County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Greenville County's 35.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #564 most-affected nationwide.
Greenville County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 111 census tracts in Greenville County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Greenville County vs. other South Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Carolina
- Greenville
Greenville County, SC
35.7 % low-access
- Abbeville
Abbeville County, SC
20.4 % low-access
- Aiken
Aiken County, SC
29.1 % low-access
- Allendale 2.3
Allendale County, SC
2.3 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, SC
36.1 % low-access
- Bamberg
Bamberg County, SC
27.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 111 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 451,225 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 63 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 18 |
| Low-Access Population | 161,131 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 45,430 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 548,166 |
| Median Household Income | $76,932 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 16,773 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 7.6% of Greenville County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 35.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 16,773 households here.
- 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 18 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 Greenville County
above the national share
18 of Greenville County's 111 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.2% of all its tracts.
A further 45 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 63.
An estimated 161,131 residents, roughly 35.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 45,430 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 48 tracts (43.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Greenville County
Greenville County has 467 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 127 locations (27% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 127
- asian market 1, taylors
- asian supermarket, greenville
- big lots 3293, simpsonville
- cvs pharmacy 2189, greer
- cvs pharmacy 3203, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 4153, greer
- cvs pharmacy 5552, greer
- cvs pharmacy inc 2190, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 205, simpsonville
- cvs pharmacy 2191, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 2192, simpsonville
- cvs pharmacy 2194, mauldin
- cvs pharmacy 2240, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 2242, simpsonville
- cvs pharmacy 2246, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 2331, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 3802, greer
- cvs pharmacy 3805, simpsonville
- cvs pharmacy 3888, travelers rest
- cvs pharmacy 4122, taylors
- cvs pharmacy 4172, mauldin
- cvs pharmacy 4205, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 5475, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 5542, fountain inn
- cvs pharmacy 5569, piedmont
- cvs pharmacy 7348, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 7397, greenville
- dollar general 0088, greenville
- dollar general 0788, fountain inn
- dollar general 0963, simpsonville
- dollar general 10667, travelers rest
- dollar general 11011, campobello
- dollar general 1767, greer
- dollar general 2118, mauldin
- dollar general 2629, taylors
- dollar general 3012, taylors
- dollar general 5887, greenville
- dollar general 6166, greenville
- dollar general 6208, greenville
- dollar general 6407, greer
- dollar general 7949, fountain inn
- dollar general 8575, travelers rest
- dollar general 8873, marietta
- dollar general 9216, greer
- dollar tree 1812, greenville
- dollartree 10881, greenville
- dollartree 11057, greenville
- dollartree plus 8777, fountain inn
- dollar general 10162, greenville
- dollar general 10260, greer
- dollar general 10375, simpsonville
- dollar general 11442, fountain inn
- dollar general 11744, mauldin
- dollar general 12428, piedmont
- dollar general 13209, greenville
- dollar general 14986, greenville
- dollar general 15563, fountain inn
- dollar general 15961, greer
- dollar general 20259, piedmont
- dollar general 21264, greenville
- dollar general 21757, taylors
- dollar general 22022, greer
- dollar general 22072, honea path
- dollar general 22584, travelers rest
- dollar general 22821, simpsonville
- dollar general 23149, simpsonville
- dollar general 23558, taylors
- dollar general 23822, pelzer
- dollar general 24555, taylors
- dollar general 2986, greenville
- dollar general 30086, piedmont
- dollar general 31258, travelers rest
- dollar general 6608, greenville
- dollar general store 17929, simpsonville
- dollar tree 1149, greenville
- dollar tree 1965, greenville
- dollar tree 1966, simpsonville
- dollar tree 3638, greenville
- dollar tree 4090, travelers rest
- dollar tree 4145, taylors
- dollar tree 4867, greenville
- dollar tree 5028, greer
- dollar tree 5349, taylors
- dollar tree 5683, greenville
- dollar tree 7385, piedmont
- dollar tree 7496, greenville
- dollar tree 8451, mauldin
- dollar tree 930, greenville
- family dollar 10834, greenville
- family dollar 10969, greenville
- family dollar 12089, greenville
- family dollar 12164, piedmont
- family dollar 130, greenville
- family dollar 144, greenville
- family dollar 271, greenville
- family dollar 4399, greenville
- family dollar 5543, greer
- family dollar 7646, marietta
- family dollar 8954, greenville
- family dollar 9203, greer
- family dollar store 3117, greenville
- family dollar store 5899, greenville
- family dollar store 6021, greenville
- family dollar store 6645, greenville
- family dollar store 6761, greenville
- family dollar store 8068, simpsonville
- family dollar store 8493, piedmont
- jj seafood market, greenville
- kimchee asian market, mauldin
- radha indian grocers, greenville
- spiceshut, greenville
- tobacco land store, greenville
- v go market, greenville
- walgreen 01252, greenville
- walgreen 02681, greenville
- walgreen 07572, greenville
- walgreen 09082, mauldin
- walgreen 09230, simpsonville
- walgreens 07279, greer
- walgreens 07447, greenville
- walgreens 10389, greenville
- walgreens 10390, greer
- walgreens 10391, simpsonville
- walgreens 11463, travelers rest
- walgreens 12164, greenville
- walgreens 9774, greenville
- your neighborhood store, greenville
Convenience Store · 123
- 7-eleven #41590h 41590h, greenville
- 7-eleven 36824k, simpsonville
- 7-eleven 36840k, taylors
- 7-eleven 42195h, fountain inn
- 7-eleven #36844a 36844a, greenville
- 7-eleven #42192a 42192a, greenville
- 7-eleven 36840b, taylors
- 7-eleven 36846a, piedmont
- 76 food mart, pelzer
- ali baba halal meat llc, greenville
- asian aisles food market, simpsonville
- bells, greenville
- bestway, mauldin
- bp, greenville
- bp station, greenville
- breakers 18, greenville
- bumcombe mini stop, greenville
- c stop 0, greenville
- circle k stores inc. 2706778, fountain inn
- cokers, piedmont
- circle k 2706483, greenville
- circle k 2723277, greenville
- circle k 2723282, greenville
- circle k 2723284, greenville
- circle k 2723285, greenville
- circle k 2723289, simpsonville
- circle k 272773, greenville
- corner mart 17330, piedmont
- corner mart 17338, greenville
- corner mart 17350, simpsonville
- corner mart 17353, greer
- corner spot, taylors
- cracker jack, greenville
- eds gts express mart, greenville
- eds gts express mart 1, greenville
- eagles c-store, greenville
- echo valley, cleveland
- ed's gt's express mart, greenville
- ed's gt's express mart, greenville
- ed's gt's express mart, greenville
- eds gts express mart, greenville
- energy market, greenville
- energy market 4504, simpsonville
- express, greenville
- exxon, greenville
- exxon sc, fountain inn
- ez mart 4, greenville
- flowers bakery outlet 50000521, greenville
- food shop, marietta
- fountain foods market, fountain inn
- fuel stop, greenville
- fuelmax gasoline, greenville
- g t express mart, greenville
- g t express mart, greenville
- garden spot, greenville
- garden spot, greenville
- garden spot 1, greenville
- garden spot 1, greenville
- gault's handee mart, fountain inn
- greenville food mart, greenville
- greer foodmart discount tobacco, greer
- guadalupe grocery store, simpsonville
- handee mart, fountain inn
- handee mart, travelers rest
- handee mart, marietta
- harry's quick stop, greenville
- harrys quick stop, greenville
- hot corner mart inc, greenville
- hot spot 4005, greer
- hot spot 6002, greer
- hot spot 8001 8001, greenville
- international food and deli 3, greenville
- jns express mart convenience store, greenville
- jr pit stop, honea path
- jake's one stop, pelzer
- jerry's mart, piedmont
- kc mart 6, greer
- kc mart 7, simpsonville
- kash, simpsonville
- kash and karry, taylors
- kash and karry, greenville
- kc mart #9 kc mart #9, greer
- la especial bakery 3, taylors
- la favorita llc, powdersville
- latinos supermercado, greenville
- li'l cricket 3856, greer
- li'l cricket 3857, greenville
- love's travel stop 871, piedmont
- mahi food mart 1, greenville
- mahi food store, greenville
- marts to go 3, greenville
- mike & jack 2, pelzer
- mike & jack 3 1, simpsonville
- mike and jack 1, greenville
- mini super tikal, greenville
- mit food mart, simpsonville
- murphy usa 6682, simpsonville
- murphy usa 7059, taylors
- murphy usa 7131, greenville
- murphy usa 7273, travelers rest
- my community store 1, greenville
- om foods, greenville
- p&p foodmart, greer
- palmetto point 101, greenville
- paras point, taylors
- power trac 1, piedmont
- power trac 15, piedmont
- power trac 8, greenville
- qs express, taylors
- quick & fast, greenville
- quick stop, greenville
- quick stop 1, greenville
- quik trip 1114, greer
- quiktrip 1102, greenville
- quiktrip 1105, greenville
- quiktrip 1119, greenville
- quiktrip 1133, greenville
- quiktrip 1134, greenville
- quiktrip 1135, greenville
- quiktrip 1137, piedmont
- quiktrip 1138, simpsonville
- quiktrip 1139, fountain inn
- quiktrip 1141, simpsonville
Showing 250 of 467 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in South Carolina
Compare Greenville County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, South Carolina in context
Greenville County sits inside South Carolina (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 Greenville County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Greenville County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Greenville County? ▼
Is Greenville County a food desert? ▼
What share of Greenville 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.