County food-access profile · Florida
Holmes County, FL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Holmes 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).
- 34.0%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 14.3%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.0% of Holmes County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 3.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.0%
- 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 Holmes County's low-access share at 34.0%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 4 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,769 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,716 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 Holmes County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Holmes County's 34.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #670 most-affected nationwide.
Holmes County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 4 census tracts in Holmes County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Holmes County vs. other Florida counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Florida
- Holmes
Holmes County, FL
34 % 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 | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,927 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,769 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,716 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,513 |
| Median Household Income | $49,343 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,000 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.2% |
About 14.3% of Holmes County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,000 households here.
- 3.3% 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 Holmes County
above the national share
2 of Holmes County's 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 6,769 residents, roughly 34.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,716 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Holmes County
Holmes County has 25 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- big boss stores 11053, ponce de leon
- circle k 2707270, bonifay
- eagle world 645, caryville
- express lane 767, esto
- express lane 769, bonifay
- ikra food mart, bonifay
- m & m general store, westville
- miller's grocery, bonifay
- murphy usa 7479, ponce de leon
- tom thumb 900041, ponce de leon
- tom thumb 900088, bonifay
- tom thumb 900152, bonifay
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 6491, bonifay
- dollar general 9273, ponce de leon
- dollar general 21813, bonifay
- dollar general 22173, bonifay
- dollar general 22803, bonifay
- dollar general 25766, bonifay
- dollar general 25822, westville
- family dollar 12916, bonifay
- family dollar 13594, ponce de leon
Seafood Specialty · 1
- bonifay seafood market, bonifay
Small Grocery Store · 1
- eagle world 643, ponce de leon
Super Store · 1
- grocery outlet 7717, bonifay
Supermarket · 1
- piggly wiggly, bonifay
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Florida
Compare Holmes County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Food access nationally, Florida in context
Holmes 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 Holmes County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Holmes County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Holmes County? ▼
Is Holmes County a food desert? ▼
What share of Holmes 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.