County food-access profile · Mississippi
Harrison County, MS
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Harrison 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).
- 33.7%
- low-access pop.
- 17
- food-desert tracts
- 15.0%
- on SNAP
- 211K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
33.7% of Harrison County residents live in a low-access area, and 17 of its 45 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 33
- low-access tracts
- 28K
- food-desert residents
- 6.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.1%
- 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 Harrison County's low-access share at 33.7%, above the national share. 33 of the county's 45 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 63,020 people. 17 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 27,752 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 Harrison County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Harrison County's 33.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #696 most-affected nationwide.
Harrison County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 45 census tracts in Harrison County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Harrison County vs. other Mississippi counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Mississippi
- Harrison
Harrison County, MS
33.7 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, MS
28.3 % low-access
- Alcorn
Alcorn County, MS
18.9 % low-access
- Amite 13.9
Amite County, MS
13.9 % low-access
- Attala
Attala County, MS
27.1 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, MS
35.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 45 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 187,105 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 33 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 17 |
| Low-Access Population | 63,020 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 27,752 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 210,891 |
| Median Household Income | $59,479 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 12,489 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 15.0% of Harrison County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 33.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 12,489 households here.
- 6.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 17 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 Harrison County
above the national share
17 of Harrison County's 45 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 37.8% of all its tracts.
A further 16 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 33.
An estimated 63,020 residents, roughly 33.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 27,752 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (26.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Harrison County
Harrison County has 199 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 12 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 84 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 84
- 2nd stop food store, gulfport
- 49 corner, gulfport
- 5 stars fast mart, gulfport
- 90 express, biloxi
- akl-mart, gulfport
- bradleys cajun quickstop & deli, long beach
- b’s stop n save, gulfport
- c and c convenience store, biloxi
- circle k 2723389, gulfport
- circle k 2723457, gulfport
- circle k 2723458, biloxi
- circle k 2723459, diberville
- circle k 2723462, gulfport
- circle k 2723465, gulfport
- circle k 2723681, gulfport
- circle k 2723696, gulfport
- circle k 2723755, gulfport
- circle k 2723846, long beach
- circle k 2723847, biloxi
- clark oil 16, biloxi
- clark oil 19, gulfport
- clark oil 30, biloxi
- clark oil 41, gulfport
- clark's 13, gulfport
- clark's 28, biloxi
- clark's 29, biloxi
- clark's exxon 11, gulfport
- clarks 31, biloxi
- clarks 33, gulfport
- clarks 39, biloxi
- clarks 40, biloxi
- clarks 42, diberville
- cousins foodmart, saucier
- dannys food mart, gulfport
- dodge store 6501, gulfport
- el caribe latino, gulfport
- ez food mart, llc, diberville
- fast mart 23, gulfport
- fayard's, biloxi
- food queen mini mart, gulfport
- green store mini mart 1, long beach
- gulfport 49 llc, gulfport
- gulfport petroleum llc, gulfport
- gulfport station inc, gulfport
- harry and authur grocery, gulfport
- health nuts, gulfport
- ice box of canal llc, gulfport
- ice box of lorraine llc, gulfport
- imperial kwik stops, biloxi
- imperio latino mini market g llc, gulfport
- jacob 1 llc 1, biloxi
- karma ventures llc, pass christian
- karyssa llc, biloxi
- king food mart, inc, gulfport
- lizana kwik stop, gulfport
- love's travel stop 402, biloxi
- love's travel stop 595, gulfport
- ly first stop, gulfport
- m and n casino food mart llc, biloxi
- maas food mart, gulfport
- murphy express 8726, biloxi
- murphy usa 5508, gulfport
- murphy usa 6917, pass christian
- murphy usa 7568, diberville
- nic-nac grocery, gulfport
- one stop fuel #3, diberville
- pass road food mart, biloxi
- pilot travel center 676, gulfport
- pure market llc, gulfport
- quiktrip 7242, gulfport
- quiktrip 7255, gulfport
- raceway, gulfport
- ractrac 2483, gulfport
- robinwood one stop, llc, saucier
- sai quick stop, saucier
- sai quick stop, pass christian
- sai shell, gulfport
- smc properties llc, long beach
- ssba enterprises inc, long beach
- tcb stop 'n geaux, llc, gulfport
- the bodega, gulfport
- tobacco & beer discount house inc 21, gulfport
- tobacco and beer #22, biloxi
- woolmarket grocery & seafood mkt, biloxi
Combination Grocery/Other · 67
- cvs pharmacy 47, d'lberville
- cvs pharmacy 5908, gulfport
- cvs pharmacy 5923, gulfport
- cajun food mart, gulfport
- dollar general 10359, biloxi
- dollar general 10360, biloxi
- dollar general 10447, gulfport
- dollar general 10767, gulfport
- dollar general 14042, gulfport
- dollar general 14320, gulfport
- dollar general 7977, biloxi
- dollar general 8356, gulfport
- dollar general 9562, gulfport
- dollartree 10371, biloxi
- dollartree 10821, biloxi
- dollartree 9423, gulfport
- dollar general 10180, pass christian
- dollar general 1026, gulfport
- dollar general 10687, long beach
- dollar general 11629, gulfport
- dollar general 11788, gulfport
- dollar general 12174, pass christian
- dollar general 12176, diberville
- dollar general 12729, biloxi
- dollar general 13011, gulfport
- dollar general 13031, gulfport
- dollar general 13603, pass christian
- dollar general 13705, long beach
- dollar general 14814, gulfport
- dollar general 15474, saucier
- dollar general 16087, gulfport
- dollar general 16679, biloxi
- dollar general 16709, gulfport
- dollar general 16868, long beach
- dollar general 17909, gulfport
- dollar general 22634, diberville
- dollar general 23089, gulfport
- dollar general 30379, gulfport
- dollar general 31699, long beach
- dollar general 8621, saucier
- dollar general store 17423, biloxi
- dollar tree 2571, diberville
- dollar tree 4346, gulfport
- dollar tree 4830, biloxi
- dollar tree 7687, long beach
- dollar tree 8002, saucier
- dollar tree 8636, gulfport
- dollar tree plus 3254, gulfport
- family dollar 10027, gulfport
- family dollar 1236, biloxi
- family dollar 13886, saucier
- family dollar 8555, diberville
- family dollar 9088, biloxi
- family dollar 9146, gulfport
- family dollar store 7134, gulfport
- family dollar store 7164, gulfport
- family dollar store 8352, biloxi
- family dollar store 8372, gulfport
- family dollar store 8553, gulfport
- family dollar store 8855, biloxi
- long beach seafood 426, long beach
- walgreen 09545, long beach
- walgreens 04172, biloxi
- walgreens 10909, diberville
- walgreens 15484, gulfport
- walgreens 17031, gulfport
- walgreens 5195, gulfport
Super Store · 17
- froogel's #6, gulfport
- froogel's super foods 1, gulfport
- froogels super foods 3, long beach
- neco's market place, pass christian
- rouses market 77, gulfport
- rouses market 88, biloxi
- sam's club 8236, gulfport
- target store 2485, diberville
- walmart 1088, biloxi
- walmart 2715, diberville
- walmart neighborhood market 4586, biloxi
- walmart neighborhood market 6165, gulfport
- walmart neighborhood market 6166, diberville
- walmart neighborhood market 6323, gulfport
- walmart neighborhood market 6849, biloxi
- walmart s/c 5079, pass christian
- walmart supercenter 969, gulfport
Small Grocery Store · 9
- abarrotes biloxi, biloxi
- el caribe latino llc #3, gulfport
- el rincon mezapeno, diberville
- ire cuba bazar, biloxi
- jcg diversion, biloxi
- la surena meat market 1, gulfport
- marley's convenience store llc, biloxi
- mercado santa fe llc, biloxi
- mi chiapas llc 1, gulfport
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 82147, long beach
- aldi 82153, diberville
- aldi 82211, gulfport
- food giant 607, gulfport
- food giant 608, biloxi
- lee international market, biloxi
- perla super market, gulfport
Seafood Specialty · 6
- danny's seafood, long beach
- desporte seafood, llc, biloxi
- gulf fresh seafood, gulfport
- gautier's at the harbor, pass christian
- island seafood, biloxi
- quality poultry & seafood, biloxi
Farmers' Market · 2
- mlk marketplace nafnmp, gulfport
- real food gulf coast dba s mississippi fm assoc, gulfport
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- el morralito grocery llc, diberville
- neco's xp, llc, passchristian
Military Commissary · 2
- gulfport ncbc commissary 122, gulfport
- keesler afb commissary 128, biloxi
Delivery Route · 1
- quality wholesale meats, diberville
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- woolmarket produce stand, biloxi
Large Grocery Store · 1
- johnny pizmo's, gulfport
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Mississippi
Compare Harrison County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →
Food access nationally, Mississippi in context
Harrison County sits inside Mississippi (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 Harrison County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Harrison County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Harrison County? ▼
Is Harrison County a food desert? ▼
What share of Harrison 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.