County food-access profile · West Virginia
Hancock County, WV
Hancock County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 50.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 15.1%
- on SNAP
- 28K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
50.2% of Hancock County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 7.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.5%
- 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).
Hancock County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 50.2% is well above the national share. 6 of the county's 8 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 15,403 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,343 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 Hancock County compares nationally
Hancock County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 50.2% low-access share outpaces 93% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #204 most-affected nationwide.
Hancock County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Hancock County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Hancock County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Hancock
Hancock County, WV
50.2 % low-access
- Barbour 11.4
Barbour County, WV
11.4 % low-access
- Berkeley
Berkeley County, WV
38.8 % low-access
- Boone 6.6
Boone County, WV
6.6 % low-access
- Braxton 18.3
Braxton County, WV
18.3 % low-access
- Brooke 16.9
Brooke County, WV
16.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 30,676 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,403 |
| Low-Access Share | 50.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,343 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,431 |
| Median Household Income | $61,466 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,941 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.4%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 15.1% of Hancock County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 50.2% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,941 households here.
- 7.4% 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 Hancock County
well above the national share
1 of Hancock 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 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 15,403 residents, roughly 50.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,343 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Hancock County
Hancock County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 14
- 7-eleven 36165, weirton
- 7-eleven 36167, chester
- 7-eleven 36168, newell
- bp weirton, weirton
- cfm 90, weirton
- cfm express 200, weirton
- cfm express 43, weirton
- coen 1710, weirton
- ghotrabrother llc, weirton
- kn enterprise llc, newell
- phillies quick stop, newell
- quik mart & more, inc, weirton
- sheetz 234, weirton
- smith oil company, inc. 203, new cumberland
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 6382, newell
- dollartree 9346, weirton
- dollar general 23392, chester
- dollar general 25185, weirton
- dollar general 2644, weirton
- dollar general 4545, weirton
- dollar general 6183, weirton
- dollar general 8102, new cumberland
- dollar general store 17731, new manchester
- dollar tree 2829, weirton
- walgreens 19676, weirton
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 69004, weirton
- chester sparkle, chester
- new cumberland sparkle, new cumberland
- weirton shop n save, weirton
Super Store · 1
- kroger 803, weirton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Hancock County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Hancock County sits inside West Virginia (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 Hancock County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Hancock County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Hancock County? ▼
Is Hancock County a food desert? ▼
What share of Hancock 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.