County food-access profile · Georgia
Habersham County, GA
Habersham 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.
- 18.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.4%
- on SNAP
- 48K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.1% of Habersham County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.1%
- 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).
Habersham County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.1% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,799 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,386 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 Habersham County compares nationally
Habersham County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.1% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,854).
Habersham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Habersham County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Habersham County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Habersham 18.1
Habersham County, GA
18.1 % 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 | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 43,041 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,799 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,386 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 47,793 |
| Median Household Income | $67,309 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,250 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.1% |
About 13.4% of Habersham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,250 households here.
- 4.2% 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 Habersham County
near the national share
1 of Habersham County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% 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 7,799 residents, roughly 18.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,386 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Habersham County
Habersham County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 28 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 28
- 365 foodmart, alto
- abc foods, cornelia
- athi8, alto
- bp food mart, mount airy
- batesville junction store, clarkesville
- chevron foodmart demorest, demorest
- circle k 2723313, alto
- circle k 2723324, clarkesville
- city food mart, cornelia
- clarkesville citgo, clarkesville
- cool springs, clarkesville
- cornelia foodmart, cornelia
- country boy, demorest
- demorest food mart, demorest
- duncan bridge market, cornelia
- hasty mart, clarkesville
- hayes corner country store, clarkesville
- lucky marathon 1, baldwin
- murphy express 8695, cornelia
- one stop, mount airy
- race trac 625, cornelia
- regal mart, cornelia
- riverbend store, demorest
- rupakot llc, clarkesville
- shake n go, clarkesville
- speed way, clarkesville
- texaco food mart, clarkesville
- i-market 761, cornelia
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- cvs pharmacy 3798, cornelia
- dollar general 3256, cornelia
- dollar general 5827, alto
- dollar general 8839, cornelia
- dollartree 6896, clarkesville
- dollar general 11712, clarkesville
- dollar general 13370, baldwin
- dollar general 13796, mt airy
- dollar general 16202, clarkesville
- dollar general 20212, clarkesville
- dollar general 21424, cornelia
- dollar general 22395, mount airy
- dollar general 23862, clarkesville
- dollar general 30145, demorest
- dollar general 30328, mount airy
- dollar tree 2184, cornelia
- dollar tree 6889, cornelia
- l & t asian market, cornelia
- walgreens 1964, clarkesville
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- la tejanita 2, cornelia
- mini asian market, cornelia
- super latino grocery & market, cornelia
Small Grocery Store · 2
- asian market, cornelia
- market san miguel, cornelia
Super Store · 2
- cornelia quality foods llc, cornelia
- walmart store 1403, cornelia
Supermarket · 2
- ingles markets 428, clarkesville
- ingles markets 61, cornelia
Farmers' Market · 1
- habersham co locally grown, clarkesville
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- holland produce, clarkesville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- empresas garcia, cornelia
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- city butcher and fish, clarkesville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Habersham County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Habersham 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 Habersham County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Habersham County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Habersham County? ▼
Is Habersham County a food desert? ▼
What share of Habersham 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.