PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Halifax County, VA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Halifax 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).

29.7%
low-access pop.
7
food-desert tracts
20.7%
on SNAP
34K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

29.7% of Halifax County residents live in a low-access area, and 7 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
7.5%
households, no vehicle
17.3%
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 Halifax County's low-access share at 29.7%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,757 people. 7 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,751 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 Halifax County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Halifax County's 29.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #956 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Halifax County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Halifax County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Halifax County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 7 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (22.2%) 7 tracts severe / food desert (77.8%) Adequate 22% Limited 0% Severe 78% Food-access tier distribution: Halifax County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Halifax County vs. other Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Halifax County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)36,241
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)7
Low-Access Population10,757
Low-Access Share29.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,751

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Halifax County
IndicatorValue
Population33,639
Median Household Income$52,013
Poverty Rate17.3%above the national average
SNAP Households2,815
SNAP Participation Rate20.7%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.5%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.7%
SNAP participation in Halifax County 20.7%

About 20.7% of Halifax County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,815 households here.
  • 7.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 7 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 Halifax County

above the national share

7 of Halifax County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 77.8% of all its tracts.

An estimated 10,757 residents, roughly 29.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,751 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (22.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Halifax County

Halifax County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • 786 amu llc 0, clover
  • alton gas and deli 1, alton
  • apple market 516, south boston
  • apple market 517, south boston
  • apple market 518, south boston
  • apple market 522, south boston
  • azeez investments inc, south boston
  • cody store 0, nathalie
  • fas mart 111, south boston
  • flowers bakery outlet 371, south boston
  • friendly coner, halifax
  • h & h grocery, vernon hill
  • liberty mini mart 0, nathalie
  • mt. laurel grocery, clover
  • murphy express 8704, south boston
  • pilot travel center 4622, south boston
  • sheetz 340, south boston
  • short stop, scottsburg
  • short stop 2, halifax
  • smiley store, south boston
  • south boston market, south boston
  • speedway 4623, halifax
  • tracey's place, scottsburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs pharmacy 5729, south boston
  • dollar general 18297, south boston
  • dollar general 18909, scottsburg
  • dollar general 18963, nathalie
  • dollartree 9576, south boston
  • dollar general 13650, halifax
  • dollar general 16882, halifax
  • dollar general 20702, south boston
  • dollar general 3544, south boston
  • dollar general 4238, south boston
  • dollar tree 0917, south boston
  • family dollar 5356, south boston
  • family dollar store 10577, virgilina
  • maxway 1025, south boston

Supermarket · 3

  • food lion 2246, south boston
  • food lion 542, south boston
  • supply line, south boston

Farmers' Market · 2

  • downtown south boston farmers market, south boston
  • town of halifax farmers market, halifax

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • winns creek general store, halifax

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 1345, south boston

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Halifax County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Halifax County has low food access? ▼
29.7% of residents in Halifax County, VA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Halifax County? ▼
20.7% of households in Halifax County receive SNAP, covering 2,815 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Halifax County? ▼
The poverty rate in Halifax County, VA is 17.3%, with a median household income of $52,013 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Halifax County a food desert? ▼
7 of Halifax County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Halifax County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.5% of households in Halifax County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.