PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Hickman County, TN

Hickman County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

9.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
10.1%
on SNAP
25K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

9.8% of Hickman County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
955
food-desert residents
2.8%
households, no vehicle
10.6%
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).

Hickman County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.8% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,420 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 955 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 Hickman County compares nationally

Hickman County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.8% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,504).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hickman County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Hickman 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 Hickman County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (83.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 83% Limited 0% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Hickman County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hickman County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Hickman County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,690
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,420
Low-Access Share9.8%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population955

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hickman County
IndicatorValue
Population25,436
Median Household Income$68,247
Poverty Rate10.6%below the national average
SNAP Households952
SNAP Participation Rate10.1%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.8%
SNAP participation in Hickman County 10.1%

About 10.1% of Hickman County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 952 households here.
  • 2.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Hickman County

near the national share

1 of Hickman County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,420 residents, roughly 9.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 955 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hickman County

Hickman County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 9 locations (47% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 18967, centerville
  • dollar general 7669, lyles
  • dollar general 12145, bon aqua
  • dollar general 16710, centerville
  • dollar general 2100, centerville
  • dollar general 24347, lyles
  • dollar tree 5830, centerville
  • twice daily 6270, bon aqua
  • walgreens 18040, centerville

Convenience Store · 7

  • centerville express, centerville
  • centerville smokes llc, centerville
  • east food center, lyles
  • fast stop 6, centerville
  • fast stop 9, centerville
  • mapco express, inc. 1004, centerville
  • patton's park market, lyles

Supermarket · 3

  • chappell's hometown foods 8, centerville
  • houchens save-a-lot 653, centerville
  • lyles valu plus, bon aqua

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Hickman County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Hickman County sits inside Tennessee (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 Hickman County has low food access? ▼
9.8% of residents in Hickman County, TN 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 Hickman County? ▼
10.1% of households in Hickman County receive SNAP, covering 952 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hickman County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hickman County, TN is 10.6%, with a median household income of $68,247 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hickman County a food desert? ▼
1 of Hickman County's 6 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 Hickman County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.8% of households in Hickman 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.