Signature · 5.2% SNAP (14th pct in VA)
Hanover County, VA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Hanover 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).
- 25.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 5.2%
- on SNAP
- 113K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hanover County, VA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 25.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +3.2 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 4% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Bristol city (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Hanover County ranks #1,268 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #39 of 123 counties in VA (25.3% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,268
- national by low-access %
- #39
- in VA
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 5.2% SNAP (14th pct in VA) (-6.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Hanover County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hanover County's 25.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,273 most-affected nationwide.
Hanover County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
23 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Hanover County has 12 urban and 11 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.
Hanover County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Spotsylvania 25.5
Spotsylvania 25.5%
25.5 % low-access
- Winchester ci… 25.4
Winchester ci… 25.4%
25.4 % low-access
- Hanover 25.3
Hanover 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Bristol city 25.3
Bristol city 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Hampton city 25
Hampton city 25%
25 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 23 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 99,863 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 25,219 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,967 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 112,879 |
| Median Household Income | $112,805 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.7%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,238 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Hanover County
Hanover County has 74 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 41 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 41
- 301 express, hanover
- 7 eleven f 24591a, mechanicsville
- 7-eleven 15935b, mechanicsville
- 7-eleven inc f 18603, doswell
- 7-eleven inc f 33301a, mechanicsville
- 7-eleven store 32357b, mechanicsville
- 7-eleven #38869a 38869a, ashland
- 7-eleven #40020b 40020b, mechanicsville
- 7-eleven 34021b, mechanicsville
- ashland market, ashland
- dash in 1610, mechanicsville
- dash in 1615, ashland
- doswell pit stop 522, doswell
- fas mart 1, mechanicsville
- fas mart 14, ashland
- fas mart 22, montpelier
- fas mart 26, mechanicsville
- fas mart 27, mechanicsville
- fas mart 31, mechanicsville
- fas mart 44, mechanicsville
- fas mart 51, mechanicsville
- glen allen fast foods, glen allen
- hanover citgo, mechanicsville
- krispy delights, glen allen
- los regios tienda latina, ashland
- quick stop, glen allen
- richfood pit stop 523, mechanicsville
- royal farms 532, ashland
- sheetz 286, ashland
- sheetz 315, ashland
- sheetz 699, mechanicsville
- shell jiffymart 1712, ashland
- shop n drive, ashland
- sumer inc, beaverdam
- ta ashland 001, ashland
- ta richmond 142, ashland
- wawa 8607, ashland
- wawa 8634, mechanicsville
- wawa 8652, ashland
- wawa food market 8602, mechanicsville
- wawa store 6607, mechanicsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs 10770, montpelier
- cvs 1980, mechanicsville
- cvs pharmacy 1985, ashland
- cvs pharmacy 2150, mechanicsville
- cvs pharmacy 2691, mechanicsville
- dollar tree 147, mechanicsville
- dollartree 10273, mechanicsville
- dollar general 15210, mechanicsville
- dollar general 16434, montpelier
- dollar general 20288, mechanicsville
- dollar general 3210, mechanicsville
- dollar general 3983, ashland
- dollar general 6761, mechanicsville
- dollar tree 2335, ashland
- walgreens 12496, mechanicsville
- walgreens 13830, mechanicsville
- walgreens 17768, ashland
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 21, mechanicsville
- food lion 2231, ashland
- food lion 2575, mechanicsville
- food lion 2663, montpelier
- food lion 337, mechanicsville
- food lion 628, mechanicsville
- food lion 681, ashland
- publix 1626, mechanicsville
Super Store · 7
- b js wholesale club 139, mechanicsville
- kroger 510, mechanicsville
- kroger 515, mechanicsville
- target store 1968, mechanicsville
- walmart neighborhood market 3880, ashland
- walmart supercenter 1525, mechanicsville
- walmart supercenter 2795, ashland
Small Grocery Store · 1
- mi tiendita latino market, ashland
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 Hanover County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Hanover County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Hanover County (5.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Virginia.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (25.3% here).
- Cowlitz County, WA · 25.3% low-access
- Cowlitz County, WA · 25.3% low-access
- Calumet County, WI · 25.3% low-access
- Calumet County, WI · 25.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (5.2% here).
- Salt Lake County, UT · 5.2% SNAP
- Salt Lake County, UT · 5.2% SNAP
- Kewaunee County, WI · 5.2% SNAP
- Kewaunee County, WI · 5.2% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Hanover 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 Hanover County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51085. 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.