County food-access profile · Georgia
Houston County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Houston 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).
- 35.0%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 10.3%
- on SNAP
- 170K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
35.0% of Houston County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 23 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 16
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.1%
- 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 Houston County's low-access share at 35.0%, above the national share. 16 of the county's 23 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 48,978 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,983 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
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Houston County's 35.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #592 most-affected nationwide.
Houston County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 23 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 Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Houston
Houston County, GA
35 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 23 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 139,900 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 16 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 48,978 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,983 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 169,649 |
| Median Household Income | $80,698 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,588 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 10.3% of Houston County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 35.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,588 households here.
- 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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
above the national share
6 of Houston County's 23 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 26.1% of all its tracts.
A further 10 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 16.
An estimated 48,978 residents, roughly 35.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,983 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (30.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Houston County
Houston County has 156 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 84 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 84
- 7 star food mart, warner robins
- bilo food mart, warner robins
- choice food mart, perry
- choice quick stop, warner robins
- circle k 2703138, perry
- circle k 2703140, warner robins
- circle k 2703143, kathleen
- circle k 2703144, perry
- circle k 2704722, perry
- citgo food mart and tobacco, warner robins
- corner store, warner robins
- devi food mart, perry
- discount mart, bonaire
- discount mart, warner robins
- e-z buy, bonaire
- ez trip, kathleen
- el barrio food market, warner robins
- extramile warner, warner robins
- exxon food mart, centerville
- famous food, warner robins
- flash foods 268, perry
- flash foods llc 274130, bonaire
- flash foods llc 274183, perry
- flash foods llc 274215, centerville
- flash foods llc 274253, warner robins
- flash foods llc 274265, byron
- flash foods llc 274266, warner robins
- flash foods llc 2745129, warner robins
- flowers bakery outlet 570, byron
- food mart, elko
- friends & family, byron
- h & r food mart, warner robins
- holiday food #2, warner robins
- holiday food stores, warner robins
- hop in, warner robins
- jp perry 217, perry
- joy food n/a, warner robins
- lake mart, kathleen
- lolo #2 2, warner robins
- lolo #3 3, warner robins
- map convenience store llc, warner robins
- mini foodmart, warner robins
- moody amogo, warner robins
- murphy express 8568, warner robins
- murphy express 8742, perry
- murphy usa 7317, warner robins
- nhs petroleum, warner robins
- neighbor grocery, perry
- nouria 217 richard russell pkwy 832, warner robins
- nouria 3098 watson boulevard 838, warner robins
- nouria 609 south houston lake road 834, warner robins
- om food mart, warner robins
- p and d 2019 llc, centerville
- pk food mart, warner robins
- pepo food mart, perry
- perry food mart, perry
- phillips 66, warner robins
- pleezing food store, warner robins
- prabhujyot llc, warner robins
- pride food mart, centerville
- quiktrip 1731, byron
- quiktrip 1735, warner robins
- r & k country store, hawkinsville
- ravina gas, warner robins
- sai quick stop #1, warner robins
- sv food mart, perry
- shell, warner robins
- shop n go, perry
- solo food mart, warner robins
- speedway 1884, byron
- speedy 4, perry
- speedy food, warner robins
- stop n shop, bonaire
- super 7 food mart, warner robins
- texaco food mart, warner robins
- tienda la san juanerita 1, centerville
- two guys food mart, warner robins
- vip store, warner robins
- vaak food mart, warner robins
- vip star llc, perry
- warner ventures, warner robins
- welcome, warner robins
- wr food mart, warner robins
- yogi food mart, warner robins
Combination Grocery/Other · 39
- ab & c oriental store, warner robins
- cvs pharmacy 1374, warner robins
- cvs pharmacy 1586, warner robins
- cvs pharmacy 3773, warner robins
- cvs pharmacy 5631, warner robins
- cvs pharmacy 4243, perry
- dollar general 14434, bonaire
- dollar general 14523, warner robins
- dollar general 2059, warner robins
- dollar general 2061, perry
- dollar general 4693, warner robins
- dollar general 4807, bonaire
- dollar general 4857, warner robins
- dollar general 5851, byron
- dollar general 9116, perry
- dollartree plus 9237, warner robins
- dollar general 11541, kathleen
- dollar general 12846, warner robins
- dollar general 17629, perry
- dollar general 20018, perry
- dollar general 21470, warner robins
- dollar general 21610, centerville
- dollar general 24871, perry
- dollar general 30663, warner robins
- dollar general 30948, warner robins
- dollar general store 16755, warner robins
- dollar general store 17540, kathleen
- dollar tree 1189, perry
- dollar tree 2003, warner robins
- dollar tree 411, warner robins
- dollar tree 8047, warner robins
- family dollar store 228, warner robins
- family dollar store 3771, warner robins
- family dollar store 4558, warner robins
- family dollar store 4580, warner robins
- walgreen 09643, warner robins
- walgreens 10884, warner robins
- walgreens 11348, warner robins
- wrap& kebab, centerville
Super Store · 11
- bj's wholesale club 246, byron
- kroger 257, warner robins
- kroger 407, perry
- kroger store 696, warner robins
- kroger 641, bonaire
- target stores t-1380, warner robins
- walmart 2733, perry
- walmart neighborhood market 840, warner robins
- walmart neighborhood market 920, warner robins
- walmart supercenter 3750, warner robins
- walmart supercenter 1367, warner robins
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 76012, warner robins
- food depot 48, warner robins
- giant food, warner robins
- publix 1008, kathleen
- publix 1233, perry
- publix 1291, byron
- publix super markets 1622, bonaire
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- durdens prime meats 1, perry
- shiva 2015 inc, perry
- the butcher shop, llc, warner robins
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- 423 north commercial, warner robins
- luis mexican food &grill 1, warner robins
- robins fresh seafood & grocery market, warner robins
Small Grocery Store · 3
- asian bliss market, warner robins
- tienda el quetzal llc 1, warner robins
- tienda la nueva esperanza 1, warner robins
Farmers' Market · 2
- international city farmers market, llc, warner robins
- the new international city farmers market, warner robins
Large Grocery Store · 2
- maharaja market, warner robins
- stripling's general store, perry
Military Commissary · 1
- robins afb commissary 343, warner robins
Seafood Specialty · 1
- sea ways seafood ii, warner robins
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Houston County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Houston County sits inside Georgia (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.