County food-access profile · Tennessee
Henry County, TN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Henry 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).
- 23.1%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 32K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.1% of Henry County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.3%
- 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 Henry County's low-access share at 23.1%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,471 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,362 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 Henry County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Henry County's 23.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 54% of them and ranked #1,444 most-affected nationwide.
Henry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Henry County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Henry County vs. other Tennessee counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee
- Henry
Henry County, TN
23.1 % low-access
- Anderson 10.9
Anderson County, TN
10.9 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, TN
23 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, TN
12.6 % low-access
- Bledsoe 4.7
Bledsoe County, TN
4.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount County, TN
30.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,330 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,471 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.1%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,362 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,412 |
| Median Household Income | $50,613 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,762 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 13.1% of Henry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,762 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Henry County
above the national share
4 of Henry County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 44.4% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 7,471 residents, roughly 23.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,362 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Henry County
Henry County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (53% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs 10515, paris
- dollar general 14044, paris
- dollar general 4733, paris
- dollar general 6358, buchanan
- dollar general 740, paris
- dollar general 8345, paris
- dollar general 983, puryear
- dollar general 16885, henry
- dollar general 24287, como
- dollar general 24395, paris
- dollar general 25759, buchanan
- dollar tree 835, paris
- marathon 3223, paris
- shell 3251, paris
- sinclair's fish co., paris
- twice daily 8091, paris
- walgreens 6963, paris
Convenience Store · 8
- casey's 3337, paris
- eagle food mart 01, paris
- hwy 22 food mart, mc kenzie
- jb's express mart, paris
- kirks market & deli, buchanan
- murphy express 8511, paris
- pockets 103, paris
- tackle box, paris
Large Grocery Store · 2
- cash saver 21, paris
- lakeway iga, paris
Super Store · 2
- kroger food store 391, paris
- walmart 177, paris
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the meat place, paris
Seafood Specialty · 1
- hart's fish market, buchanan
Small Grocery Store · 1
- trolinger's inc, paris
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Compare Henry County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
Henry County sits inside Tennessee (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 Henry County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Henry County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Henry County? ▼
Is Henry County a food desert? ▼
What share of Henry 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.