Signature · 7 LILA tracts (77.8% of tracts)

Halifax County, VA

Halifax County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 7 LILA tracts (77.8% of the book) alongside 29.7% low-access.

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

USDA FARA access plate

County Halifax County, VA

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-ELEVATED 29.7% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +7.6 pts vs US
  • LILA-CLUSTER 7 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 20.7% SNAP
  • VEH-TYPICAL 7.5% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 78% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Surry County (+ 0.3 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Halifax County sits in the upper national band (29.7%, #953 of 3,079) with 7 LILA tracts.

#953
national by low-access %
#25
in VA
7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 7 LILA tracts (77.8% of tracts) .

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's elevated USDA tier split

9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 7 LILA.

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

By USDA urbanicity classification, Halifax County has 2 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.

Halifax County vs nearby high 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 · elevated low-access

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

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

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%

Thick SNAP store book 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 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 Halifax County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Counties near Halifax County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Halifax 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 (29.7% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (20.7% 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.

Halifax County inside a higher low-access state context

Halifax 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 Halifax County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51083. 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.