County food-access profile · Florida
Hillsborough County, FL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Hillsborough 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).
- 29.9%
- low-access pop.
- 45
- food-desert tracts
- 13.3%
- on SNAP
- 1.5M
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
29.9% of Hillsborough County residents live in a low-access area, and 45 of its 316 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 153
- low-access tracts
- 101K
- food-desert residents
- 5.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.7%
- 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 Hillsborough County's low-access share at 29.9%, above the national share. 153 of the county's 316 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 366,983 people. 45 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 101,032 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 Hillsborough County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hillsborough County's 29.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #941 most-affected nationwide.
Hillsborough County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 316 census tracts in Hillsborough County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Hillsborough County vs. other Florida counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Florida
- Hillsborough
Hillsborough County, FL
29.9 % low-access
- Alachua 19.2
Alachua County, FL
19.2 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, FL
55.6 % low-access
- Bay
Bay County, FL
31.5 % low-access
- Bradford 1.1
Bradford County, FL
1.1 % low-access
- Brevard
Brevard County, FL
41.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 316 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 1,229,226 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 153 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 45 |
| Low-Access Population | 366,983 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 101,032 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,522,748 |
| Median Household Income | $79,540 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 77,704 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 13.3% of Hillsborough County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 29.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 77,704 households here.
- 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 45 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 Hillsborough County
above the national share
45 of Hillsborough County's 316 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.2% of all its tracts.
A further 108 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 153.
An estimated 366,983 residents, roughly 29.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 101,032 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 163 tracts (51.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County has 1,057 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 221 locations (21% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 221
- african place market, tampa
- apna bazaar, tampa
- big lots 3348, brandon
- bb mart of tampa bay, tampa
- cvs 5783, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 2760, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 3520, apollo beach
- cvs pharmacy 5201, plant city
- cvs pharmacy 579, temple terrace
- cvs pharmacy 998, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 11236, odessa
- cvs pharmacy 11483, riverview
- cvs pharmacy 2802, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 2825, brandon
- cvs pharmacy 2875, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 2898, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 3257, seffner
- cvs pharmacy 3638, riverview
- cvs pharmacy 3650, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 3660, valrico
- cvs pharmacy 3662, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 3664, valrico
- cvs pharmacy 3814, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 3930, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 4181, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 4701, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 5110, sun city center
- cvs pharmacy 5148, brandon
- cvs pharmacy 5149, temple terrace
- cvs pharmacy 5207, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 5251, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 5253, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 538, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 5784, riverview
- cvs pharmacy 6007, tampa
- cvs pharmacy 7225, riverview
- cvs pharmacy cvs11367, tampa
- dollar general 10814, valrico
- dollar general 13198, plant city
- dollar general 1331, brandon
- dollar general 13893, tampa
- dollar general 1420, lutz
- dollar general 14240, riverview
- dollar general 1499, sun city ctr
- dollar general 18280, tampa
- dollar general 18604, plant city
- dollar general 18719, tampa
- dollar general 19077, tampa
- dollar general 19078, tampa
- dollar general 3699, tampa
- dollar general 6435, plant city
- dollar general 7370, tampa
- dollar general 7499, brandon
- dollar general 7584, tampa
- dollar general 7753, riverview
- dollar general 7818, tampa
- dollar general 8800, tampa
- dollar tree 0209, tampa
- dollar tree 0241, brandon
- dollar tree 1023, plant city
- dollar tree 247, tampa
- dollar tree 6738, tampa
- dollartree 10068, brandon
- dollartree 10276, tampa
- dollartree 1520, brandon
- dollartree 6979, brandon
- dollartree 8051, tampa
- dollartree 9941, tampa
- daily bread bakery, tampa
- dollar general 11398, dover
- dollar general 12243, tampa
- dollar general 12537, tampa
- dollar general 12676, seffner
- dollar general 13559, tampa
- dollar general 13940, wimauma
- dollar general 14777, tampa
- dollar general 14974, gibsonton
- dollar general 15006, tampa
- dollar general 15012, riverview
- dollar general 15027, temple terrace
- dollar general 15294, tampa
- dollar general 15578, ruskin
- dollar general 15583, ruskin
- dollar general 19447, plant city
- dollar general 19629, dover
- dollar general 20163, dover
- dollar general 20679, seffner
- dollar general 20898, tampa
- dollar general 21781, ruskin
- dollar general 21929, dover
- dollar general 22516, tampa
- dollar general 22979, riverview
- dollar general 22981, plant city
- dollar general 23006, plant city
- dollar general 25051, tampa
- dollar general 30444, tampa
- dollar general 7662, ruskin
- dollar general 7988, tampa
- dollar general 8976, apollo beach
- dollar general store 1052, plant city
- dollar tree 1019, tampa
- dollar tree 1343, tampa
- dollar tree 1942, tampa
- dollar tree 196, tampa
- dollar tree 2034, sun city center
- dollar tree 2154, tampa
- dollar tree 2354, tampa
- dollar tree 4181, riverview
- dollar tree 4465, tampa
- dollar tree 4511, seffner
- dollar tree 4557, riverview
- dollar tree 4744, valrico
- dollar tree 4855, tampa
- dollar tree 4953, tampa
- dollar tree 5076, thonotosassa
- dollar tree 5230, lutz
- dollar tree 5660, tampa
- dollar tree 5731, brandon
- dollar tree 601, tampa
- dollar tree 6616, tampa
- dollar tree 6624, riverview
- dollar tree 6651, tampa
- dollar tree 6769, tampa
- dollar tree 7034, plant city
- dollar tree 7248, tampa
- dollar tree 7456, gibsonton
- dollar tree 7816, lutz
- dollar tree 8370, ruskin
- dollar tree 8596, tampa
- dollar tree 974, tampa
- el mirasol, plant city
- family dollar 10226, tampa
- family dollar 10243, tampa
- family dollar 10633, tampa
- family dollar 11357, seffner
- family dollar 11430, tampa
- family dollar 11920, dover
- family dollar 11987, tampa
- family dollar 12186, tampa
- family dollar 3533, temple terrace
- family dollar 3821, tampa
- family dollar 4292, tampa
- family dollar 8833, tampa
- family dollar 9085, tampa
- family dollar 9258, tampa
- family dollar store 1080, tampa
- family dollar store 1660, tampa
- family dollar store 1800, plant city
- family dollar store 3052, tampa
- family dollar store 3467, tampa
- family dollar store 3884, tampa
- family dollar store 5361, tampa
- family dollar store 5550, tampa
- family dollar store 5595, tampa
- family dollar store 6732, plant city
- family dollar store 7665, tampa
- family dollar store 773, gibsonton
- family dollar store 7779, tampa
- family dollar store 8053, tampa
- family dollar store 8088, brandon
- family dollar store 8412, tampa
- family dollar store 8507, tampa
- family dollar store 8635, tampa
- family dollar store 982, seffner
- hangook mart, tampa
- india bazaar, tampa
- la mexicana latin store, inc, tampa
- oriental fish company, tampa
- portales latin american market, gibsonton
- rick's custom meats 1, lithia
- riverside seafood market, tampa
- roasted nuts, temple terrace
- rocha's fruteria's produce market, inc, wimauma
- siempre fresco llc 1, tampa
- walgreen 04962, brandon
- walgreen 05437, tampa
- walgreen 09300, lutz
- walgreen 1925, tampa
- walgreens 06192, tampa
- walgreens 06732, plant city
- walgreens 06751, brandon
- walgreens 07105, riverview
- walgreens 3863, tampa
- walgreens 4573, temple terrace
- walgreens 5576, tampa
- walgreens 5695, tampa
- walgreens 6029, seffner
- walgreens 6611, tampa
- walgreens 03459, tampa
- walgreens 04523, brandon
- walgreens 09297, riverview
- walgreens 10398, tampa
- walgreens 10484, lithia
- walgreens 12673, tampa
- walgreens 13031, tampa
- walgreens 13824, lutz
- walgreens 15129, tampa
- walgreens 15236, tampa
- walgreens 1934, plant city
- walgreens 21458, lutz
- walgreens 2818, tampa
- walgreens 2887, tampa
- walgreens 2975, tampa
- walgreens 3128, tampa
- walgreens 3145, tampa
- walgreens 3351, tampa
- walgreens 3743, tampa
- walgreens 3744, tampa
- walgreens 3829, tampa
- walgreens 4034, valrico
- walgreens 5451, tampa
- walgreens 6674, tampa
- walgreens 6860, valrico
- walgreens 7010, valrico
- walgreens 7177, sun city center
- walgreens 7569, tampa
- walgreens 7815, tampa
- walgreens 9475, riverview
- woori oriental market / kimbrothers, tampa
- yh asian supermarket, tampa
- young texas, seffner
Convenience Store · 27
- 14k food mart, tampa
- 2 k express no 2, tampa
- 22nd food max inc, tampa
- 24k express, tampa
- 301 petrol mart, thonotosassa
- 50th street texaco, tampa
- 6503 truck stop, tampa
- 7 days food mart, tampa
- 7 eleven, gibsonton
- 7 eleven 24305a, tampa
- 7 eleven 33018a, tampa
- 7 eleven store 23403b, lutz
- 7 eleven store 41528a, riverview
- 7- eleven 32799a, tampa
- 7-eleven 10202b, tampa
- 7-eleven 22836a, tampa
- 7-eleven 24451a, tampa
- 7-eleven 25060a, tampa
- 7-eleven 32328a, tampa
- 7-eleven 32702a, dover
- 7-eleven 32744 a, tampa
- 7-eleven 32854a, riverview
- 7-eleven 32973a, tampa
- 7-eleven 32984 a, riverview
- 7-eleven 33105a, valrico
- 7-eleven 23397a, tampa
- 7-eleven 23770j, brandon
Bakery Specialty · 2
- ramallah produce & bakery, temple terrace
- sami's pita bakery, inc., tampa
Showing 250 of 1,057 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Florida
Compare Hillsborough County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Food access nationally, Florida in context
Hillsborough County sits inside Florida (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 Hillsborough County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Hillsborough County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Hillsborough County? ▼
Is Hillsborough County a food desert? ▼
What share of Hillsborough 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.