County food-access profile · Tennessee
Grundy County, TN
Most of Grundy County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 6.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 16.8%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
6.9% of Grundy County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 513
- food-desert residents
- 4.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.9%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Grundy County fares better than most: just 6.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 4 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 952 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 513 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 Grundy County compares nationally
Food access in Grundy County compares favorably nationally: its 6.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,710).
Grundy County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 4 census tracts in Grundy County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Grundy County vs. other Tennessee counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee
- Grundy 6.9
Grundy County, TN
6.9 % low-access
- Anderson 10.9
Anderson County, TN
10.9 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, TN
23 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, TN
12.6 % low-access
- Bledsoe 4.7
Bledsoe County, TN
4.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount County, TN
30.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 13,703 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 952 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 513 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,819 |
| Median Household Income | $47,593 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 868 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 16.8% of Grundy County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 6.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 868 households here.
- 4.5% 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 Grundy County
below the national share
1 of Grundy County's 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 952 residents, roughly 6.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 513 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Grundy County
Grundy County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 14
- bp town market, gruetli laager
- beersheba springs market, beersheba springs
- circle k 4703617, monteagle
- circle k 4703977, pelham
- grundy market, tracy city
- l&l mart, coalmont
- mapco express, inc. 3540, monteagle
- misty's market, coalmont
- palmer market, palmer
- pelham gulf, pelham
- pelham station, pelham
- r & i market, gruetli laager
- summerfield market, monteagle
- tracy city market, tracy city
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 2706, tracy city
- dollar general 870, monteagle
- dollar general 9759, altamont
- dollar general 12169, gruetli laager
- dollar general 24574, tracy city
- dollar general store 17538, pelham
- family dollar 594, tracy city
- family dollar store 2764, gruetli-laager
- mooney's market, monteagle
Supermarket · 2
- piggly wiggly 342, gruetli laager
- save a lot 30168, tracy city
Super Store · 1
- monteagle piggly wiggly, monteagle
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Compare Grundy County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
Grundy County sits inside Tennessee (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 Grundy County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Grundy County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Grundy County? ▼
Is Grundy County a food desert? ▼
What share of Grundy 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.