PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Hopewell city, VA

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

38.0%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
25.1%
on SNAP
23K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

38.0% of Hopewell city residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
11.7%
households, no vehicle
21.8%
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 Hopewell city's low-access share at 38.0%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,586 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,263 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 Hopewell city compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hopewell city's 38.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #485 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hopewell city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Hopewell city, 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 Hopewell city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (33.3%) 1 tracts limited (16.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 33% Limited 17% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Hopewell city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hopewell city vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Hopewell city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)22,591
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population8,586
Low-Access Share38.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,263

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hopewell city
IndicatorValue
Population22,959
Median Household Income$54,729
Poverty Rate21.8%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,321
SNAP Participation Rate25.1%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.7%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Hopewell city 25.1%

About 25.1% of Hopewell city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 38.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 25.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,321 households here.
  • 11.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Hopewell city

above the national share

3 of Hopewell city's 6 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.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 8,586 residents, roughly 38.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,263 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hopewell city

Hopewell city has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • 17 hour convenience market, hopewell
  • 7-eleven 11055j, hopewell
  • 7-eleven 11080j, hopewell
  • broadway express, hopewell
  • corner store mart 2, hopewell
  • five forks food mart 1, hopewell
  • golden express, hopewell
  • grab & go, hopewell
  • gran amancecer de oriente, hopewell
  • hopewell one stop 2, hopewell
  • oaklawn mini mart, hopewell
  • ok food mart, hopewell
  • quick express, hopewell
  • red barn, hopewell
  • wawa food market 698, hopewell

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • cvs pharmacy 10251, hopewell
  • dollar general 0374, hopewell
  • dollar general 10714, hopewell
  • dollar general 2079, hopewell
  • dollar tree 4540, hopewell
  • dollar tree 4878, hopewell
  • family dollar 278, hopewell
  • family dollar 3323, hopewell
  • family dollar 8835, hopewell
  • walgreens 12360, hopewell

Supermarket · 3

  • food lion 844, hopewell
  • randolph market inc, hopewell
  • save a lot, hopewell

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • oaklawn seafood, hopewell
  • son's seafood, hopewell

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • el gordo llc, hopewell
  • j&a latino market and restaurant 1, hopewell

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • amanecer latino grocery & restaurant, hopewell

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Hopewell city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Hopewell city sits inside Virginia (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 Hopewell city has low food access? ▼
38.0% of residents in Hopewell city, VA 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 Hopewell city? ▼
25.1% of households in Hopewell city receive SNAP, covering 2,321 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hopewell city? ▼
The poverty rate in Hopewell city, VA is 21.8%, with a median household income of $54,729 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hopewell city a food desert? ▼
3 of Hopewell city'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 Hopewell city households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.7% of households in Hopewell city 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.