PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Henderson County, NC

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

25.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
9.2%
on SNAP
118K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

25.7% of Henderson County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 26 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

10
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
3.5%
households, no vehicle
11.6%
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 Henderson County's low-access share at 25.7%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 26 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 27,482 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,665 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 Henderson County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Henderson County's 25.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 60% of them and ranked #1,241 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Henderson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 26 census tracts in Henderson 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 Henderson County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 16 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 8 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 26 tracts evaluated. 16 tracts adequate (61.5%) 8 tracts limited (30.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 62% Limited 31% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Henderson County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Henderson County vs. other North Carolina counties

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

% 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 Henderson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts26
Atlas Population (2010 basis)106,740
Low-Access Tracts10
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population27,482
Low-Access Share25.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,665

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Henderson County
IndicatorValue
Population118,484
Median Household Income$68,187
Poverty Rate11.6%below the national average
SNAP Households4,687
SNAP Participation Rate9.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Henderson County 9.2%

About 9.2% of Henderson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,687 households here.
  • 3.5% 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 Henderson County

above the national share

2 of Henderson County's 26 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.

An estimated 27,482 residents, roughly 25.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,665 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 16 tracts (61.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Henderson County

Henderson County has 75 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 27 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 27

  • 5th ave shell, hendersonville
  • circle k stores inc. 2709089, mills river
  • citistop 124, fletcher
  • citistop 201, hendersonville
  • citistop 202, hendersonville
  • citistop 203, hendersonville
  • el charrito, inc., hendersonville
  • energy mart 2, hendersonville
  • energy mart 8, flat rock
  • energy mart stores 1 1, hendersonville
  • energy mart stores 3 3, hendersonville
  • fastlane express 2, hendersonville
  • hyders kountry kubbard, mills river
  • kavya express lane inc, hendersonville
  • moore convenience, fletcher
  • nouria 3300 asheville highway 251, hendersonville
  • quiktrip 1148, flat rock
  • sheetz 831, hendersonville
  • speedway 7916, hendersonville
  • spinx 344, hendersonville
  • spinx 345, flat rock
  • sunoco mini mart 1, hendersonville
  • triangle stop food stores 200, hendersonville
  • triangle stop food stores 209, hendersonville
  • triangle stop food stores 214, mills river
  • triangle stop food stores 215, flat rock
  • triangle stop food stores 220, fletcher

Combination Grocery/Other · 24

  • bamboo asian grocery, fletcher
  • cvs 5537, hendersonville
  • cvs pharmacy 3582, hendersonville
  • cvs pharmacy 4183, hendersonville
  • cvs pharmacy 4197, fletcher
  • cvs pharmacy 4467, mills river
  • dollar general 18237, hendersonville
  • dollar general 2782, hendersonville
  • dollar general 2891, etowah
  • dollar general 3155, fletcher
  • dollar general 9524, mills river
  • dollar tree 1931, hendersonville
  • dollartree 8101, hendersonville
  • dollar general 10262, hendersonville
  • dollar general 12925, hendersonville
  • dollar general 14760, hendersonville
  • dollar general 17201, fletcher
  • dollar general 20117, fletcher
  • dollar general 20962, zirconia
  • family dollar 12214, east flat rock
  • micronesian mart, fletcher
  • walgreens 10886, hendersonville
  • walgreens 18220, hendersonville
  • walgreens 9930, hendersonville

Supermarket · 13

  • aldi 76070, hendersonville
  • hendersonville food coop, inc, hendersonville
  • ingles markets 104, hendersonville
  • ingles markets 11, hendersonville
  • ingles markets 133, mills river
  • ingles markets 177, flat rock
  • ingles markets 179, hendersonville
  • ingles markets 43, fletcher
  • ingles markets 63, etowah
  • ingles markets 77, hendersonville
  • publix 1586, hendersonville
  • sav mor 811, hendersonville
  • the fresh market 005, hendersonville

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • grocery outlet 27, hendersonville
  • grocery outlet 33, fletcher
  • wow supermarket, hendersonville

Super Store · 3

  • harris teeter 379, hendersonville
  • sam's club 4950, hendersonville
  • walmart supercenter 1242, hendersonville

Farmers' Market · 2

  • hendersonville farmers market, hendersonville
  • mills river farmers' market, mills river

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • m&m freezer locker plant, inc., hendersonville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • tienda los nenes 1, hendersonville

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • asian market, fletcher

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Henderson County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Henderson County sits inside North Carolina (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 Henderson County has low food access? ▼
25.7% of residents in Henderson County, NC 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 Henderson County? ▼
9.2% of households in Henderson County receive SNAP, covering 4,687 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Henderson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Henderson County, NC is 11.6%, with a median household income of $68,187 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Henderson County a food desert? ▼
2 of Henderson County's 26 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 Henderson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.5% of households in Henderson 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.