County food-access profile · Alabama
Houston County, AL
Houston 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.
- 14.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 16.1%
- on SNAP
- 108K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.2% of Houston County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 6.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.5%
- 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).
Houston County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.2% per the USDA Atlas. 8 of the county's 22 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 14,399 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,308 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 Houston County compares nationally
Houston County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.2% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,184).
Houston County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 22 census tracts in Houston County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Houston County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- Houston
Houston County, AL
14.2 % low-access
- Autauga
Autauga County, AL
33.9 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, AL
25.1 % low-access
- Barbour
Barbour County, AL
20.5 % low-access
- Bibb 1.6
Bibb County, AL
1.6 % low-access
- Blount 6.8
Blount County, AL
6.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 22 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 101,547 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,399 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,308 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 108,140 |
| Median Household Income | $58,626 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,964 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 16.1% of Houston County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,964 households here.
- 6.8% 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 Houston County
near the national share
3 of Houston County's 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.6% of all its tracts.
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 14,399 residents, roughly 14.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,308 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (63.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Houston County
Houston County has 127 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 54 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 54
- cvs pharmacy 4878, dothan
- cvs pharmacy 7179, dothan
- cvs pharmacy 4919, dothan
- dollar general 0829, dothan
- dollar general 1033, dothan
- dollar general 11197, cottonwood
- dollar general 2510, dothan
- dollar general 3899, dothan
- dollar general 3995, dothan
- dollar general 4224, dothan
- dollar general 9069, dothan
- dollar general 9081, columbia
- dollar general 9193, dothan
- dollartree 10263, dothan
- dollartree 10352, dothan
- dollar general 11946, webb
- dollar general 12820, rehobeth
- dollar general 12949, cowarts
- dollar general 13013, dothan
- dollar general 13515, dothan
- dollar general 15542, dothan
- dollar general 16881, dothan
- dollar general 19936, gordon
- dollar general 22040, midland city
- dollar general 22172, dothan
- dollar general 23253, cottonwood
- dollar general 23327, dothan
- dollar general 25555, dothan
- dollar general 25663, cottonwood
- dollar general 25664, dothan
- dollar general 31015, ashford
- dollar general 31074, taylor
- dollar general 4279, ashford
- dollar general 4459, dothan
- dollar general 8218, dothan
- dollar tree 1095, dothan
- dollar tree 2554, dothan
- dollar tree 5296, dothan
- family dollar 10861, dothan
- family dollar 12874, cottonwood
- family dollar 13515, ashford
- family dollar store 449, dothan
- family dollar store 5947, dothan
- rose's 564, dothan
- seafood services, dothan
- southern traders 3107, dothan
- southern traders 3115, dothan
- southern traders 3116, dothan
- southern traders 3139, dothan
- twice daily 3143, dothan
- walgreens 13111, dothan
- walgreens 19058, dothan
- walgreens 7404, dothan
- walgreens 7405, dothan
Convenience Store · 50
- 231 marathon, dothan
- a . w. herndon oil co #112, dothan
- circle k 2721552, dothan
- circle k 2723643, dothan
- circle k 2723829, dothan
- cityexpress, dothan
- columbia's food store, columbia
- exprezit, webb
- fast stop, dothan
- flowers bakery outlet 87, dothan
- fortner street convenience, dothan
- gigi's mini mart, dothan
- hobo pantry #20 20, dothan
- hobo pantry #6 6, dothan
- hobo pantry 25, columbia
- hobo pantry 26, dothan
- hobo pantry 27, dothan
- hobo pantry 29, gordon
- hobo pantry 32 32, dothan
- hobo pantry 5 5, dothan
- honeysuckle convenience 1, dothan
- hopin2 1, dothan
- murphy usa 7691, dothan
- murphy usa 7779, dothan
- pansey grocery, ashford
- petro south 222, cottonwood
- phat tracks 2, dothan
- pilot travel center 603, dothan
- quick stop, dothan
- raceway 6927, dothan
- raceway 758 758, dothan
- sandhar, dothan
- sandhar, dothan
- selawy llc, dothan
- sharilyn's one stop llc, dothan
- shell431 0, dothan
- shivnagar inc dba raceway 988, slocomb
- smart 002 inc, dothan
- stop n go, dothan
- stop n save, ashford
- sunstop 618, dothan
- sunstop 625, ashford
- sunstop 635, cottonwood
- sunstop 637, dothan
- sunstop 650, dothan
- tc petro, dothan
- taylor grocery, taylor
- westmain convience 2, dothan
- ztec dothan, dothan
- zoom in 5, kinsey
Supermarket · 9
- grocery outlet 7701, dothan
- grocery outlet 7702, dothan
- grocery outlet 7718, ashford
- piggly wiggly grocery & feed 508, columbia
- publix 1369, dothan
- publix 1375, dothan
- publix 1377, dothan
- winn-dixie 426, dothan
- winn-dixie 457, dothan
Super Store · 7
- piggly wiggly, dothan
- piggly wiggly discount foods, dothan
- sam's club 8192, dothan
- target store t-1468, dothan
- walmart neighborhood market 5769, dothan
- walmart s/c 2534, dothan
- walmart s/c 604, dothan
Small Grocery Store · 5
- hunt's seafood market, llc, dothan
- linden grocery, dothan
- swagat international grocery llc, dothan
- tienda la primaver # 3 1, dothan
- tienda la primavera 1, dothan
Farmers' Market · 1
- market at dothan llc, dothan
Seafood Specialty · 1
- the honest seafood co., dothan
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare Houston County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
Houston County sits inside Alabama (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 Houston County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Houston County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Houston County? ▼
Is Houston County a food desert? ▼
What share of Houston 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.