PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Hardin County, TX

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

30.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
12.9%
on SNAP
58K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

30.6% of Hardin County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
3.9%
households, no vehicle
12.1%
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).

USDA data puts Hardin County's low-access share at 30.6%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 16,740 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,032 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 Hardin County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hardin County's 30.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #901 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hardin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Hardin 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 Hardin County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (36.4%) 5 tracts limited (45.5%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 36% Limited 45% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Hardin County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hardin County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Hardin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)54,635
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population16,740
Low-Access Share30.6%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,032

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hardin County
IndicatorValue
Population57,642
Median Household Income$75,808
Poverty Rate12.1%below the national average
SNAP Households2,866
SNAP Participation Rate12.9%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%
SNAP participation in Hardin County 12.9%

About 12.9% of Hardin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,866 households here.
  • 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Hardin County

above the national share

2 of Hardin County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 16,740 residents, roughly 30.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,032 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (36.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hardin County

Hardin County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 19 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 2996, lumberton
  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 7499, silsbee
  • dollar general 2783, kountze
  • dollar general 4639, lumberton
  • dollar general 7245, sour lake
  • dollar general 839, silsbee
  • dollartree 8750, silsbee
  • dollar general 12689, lumberton
  • dollar general 13475, silsbee
  • dollar general 15810, lumberton
  • dollar general 16474, silsbee
  • dollar general 17692, village mills
  • dollar general 18041, batson
  • dollar tree 6580, lumberton
  • dollar tree 6903, sour lake
  • family dollar 12439, silsbee
  • family dollar 7906, kountze
  • walgreens 11522, silsbee
  • walgreens 7614, lumberton

Convenience Store · 16

  • brookshire brothers 89, lumberton
  • circle k 2740368, lumberton
  • dsd petroleum inc, silsbee
  • exxpress mart 12, lumberton
  • exxpress mart 14, lumberton
  • exxpress mart 24, silsbee
  • exxpress mart 5, kountze
  • j & r meat market, sour lake
  • murphy usa 7050, silsbee
  • murphy usa 7825, lumberton
  • new e-z mart, silsbee
  • pj's county store, silsbee
  • silsbee buzzy bee, silsbee
  • space fuel inc, kountze
  • speedy stop 120, lumberton
  • tejas #5, silsbee

Super Store · 5

  • brookshire brothers 29, silsbee
  • brookshire brothers 36, kountze
  • brookshire brothers 59, sour lake
  • walmart supercenter 383, silsbee
  • walmart supercenter 384, lumberton

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • silsbee quality meats, silsbee

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • boutte's boudin, lumberton

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • triple a seafood, lumberton

Supermarket · 1

  • heb 116, lumberton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Hardin County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Hardin County sits inside Texas (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 Hardin County has low food access? ▼
30.6% of residents in Hardin County, TX 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 Hardin County? ▼
12.9% of households in Hardin County receive SNAP, covering 2,866 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hardin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hardin County, TX is 12.1%, with a median household income of $75,808 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hardin County a food desert? ▼
2 of Hardin County's 11 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 Hardin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.9% of households in Hardin 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.