Signature · 5.6% SNAP (9th pct in MD)
Howard County, MD
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Howard 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).
- 22.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 5.6%
- on SNAP
- 336K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Howard County, MD
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 22.6% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.5 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 4% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Baltimore County ( -0.8 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Howard County ranks #1,475 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #14 of 24 counties in MD (22.6% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,475
- national by low-access %
- #14
- in MD
- 26
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 5.6% SNAP (9th pct in MD) (-6.5 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Howard County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Howard County's 22.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,480 most-affected nationwide.
Howard County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
55 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Howard County has 50 urban and 5 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Howard County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Maryland, not a full county-board reprint
- Calvert
Calvert 38.6%
38.6 % low-access
- Prince George…
Prince George… 24%
24 % low-access
- Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's 23.5%
23.5 % low-access
- Howard
Howard 22.6%
22.6 % low-access
- Baltimore
Baltimore 21.8%
21.8 % low-access
- St. Mary's
St. Mary's 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Kent 1.7
Kent 1.7%
1.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 55 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 287,085 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 26 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 64,739 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.6%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,427 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 336,328 |
| Median Household Income | $149,763 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,828 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Howard County
Howard County has 117 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 41 locations (35% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 41
- 7 star food mart, savage
- 7-eleven #42119a 42119, glenelg
- 7-eleven 38648a, columbia
- 7-eleven 39135b, elkridge
- 7-eleven inc 39563a, columbia
- 7-eleven inc f 11725, ellicott city
- 7-eleven inc f 32975, laurel
- 7-eleven inc f 39371, elkridge
- 7-eleven inc f 39564a, elkridge
- 7-eleven #42063a 42063a, columbia
- 7-eleven 11704c, columbia
- 7-eleven 33290c, annapolis junction
- 7-eleven 38567a, ellicott city
- columbia shell 1893, columbia
- cradlerock mart, columbia
- dash in 1832, ellicott city
- dash in 1833, ellicott city
- elkridge shell, elkridge
- highs of baltimore, llc 25, cooksville
- highs of baltimore, llc 32, fulton
- highs of baltimore, llc 38, lisbon
- highs of baltimore, llc 40, ellicott city
- highs of baltimore, llc 65, west friendship
- highs of baltimore, llc 89, glenelg
- huntington deli market, columbia
- laurel mega convenience, laurel
- lolly, columbia
- masala bazaar, columbia
- montgomery exxon, elkridge
- mount airy shell, mount airy
- quick stop food mart, columbia
- royal farms 186, columbia
- royal farms 230, jessup
- royal farms 54, elkridge
- royal farms 75, jessup
- royal farms 76, glenelg
- royal farms 85, columbia
- sam's mart, columbia
- shell waterloo, ellicott city
- sherawali inc, elkridge
- ta baltimore south 151, jessup
Super Store · 24
- b js wholesale club 60, columbia
- costco wholesale 1000, elkridge
- giant food 111, columbia
- giant food 143, ellicott city
- giant food 155, columbia
- giant food 300, columbia
- giant food 344, elkridge
- giant food 348, clarksville
- giant food 2310, ellicott city
- green valley marketplace 51, elkridge
- h mart ellicott city, llc, ellicott city
- harris teeter 322, columbia
- harris teeter 323, fulton
- harris teeter 382, ellicott city
- la mart oakland mills, columbia
- lidl 1450, columbia
- lotte plaza, ellicott city
- mom's organic market 4, jessup
- roots market, clarksville
- target store 1042, ellicott city
- target store 1044, columbia
- walmart 5228, columbia
- walmart supercenter 2412, ellicott city
- whole foods market 10499, columbia
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- asarco international food store, jessup
- cvs pharmacy #10094 10094, columbia
- cvs pharmacey 10648, clarksville
- cvs pharmacy 10528, jessup
- cvs pharmacy 1909, elkridge
- cvs pharmacy 2043, ellicott city
- cvs pharmacy 7139, fulton
- dollar tree 3766, woodbine
- dollar tree 4970, jessup
- ks food, ellicott city
- myanmar asian market, jessup
- rehoboth ethiopian cafe and market, columbia
- roving radish market place, columbia
- walgreens 10539, clarksville
- walgreens 11949, columbia
- walgreens 15553, ellicott city
- walgreens 17966, elkridge
Supermarket · 16
- aldi 71083, elkridge
- columbia grocery outlet 772, columbia
- food lion 2501, scaggsville
- food lion 2611, woodbine
- punjab market and halal meat 2, columbia
- safeway 1281, ellicott city
- safeway 1459, ellicott city
- safeway 1553, columbia
- sprouts farmers market 916, ellicott city
- sysco discount food center, elkridge
- trader joe's 658, elkridge
- wegmans 47, columbia
- weis markets 122, laurel
- weis markets 287, elkridge
- weis markets 45, laurel
- weis markets 62, woodstock
Medium Grocery Store · 12
- afia international, elkridge
- bamyan halal meat 4433197639, columbia
- caspian supermarket, ellicott city
- chivalan llc a, elkridge
- ganesh brothers, ellicott city
- howard international market, columbia
- international food market 1, ellicott city
- mercadito express, llc, columbia
- nazar produce, columbia
- super 24 market, jessup
- superfresh halal meat house, ellicott city
- turkish family market, ellicott city
Large Grocery Store · 3
- boarman's meat market, highland
- columbia halal meat, elkridge
- triveni supermarket, ellicott city
Farmers' Market · 2
- clarksville commons farmers market, clarksville
- maplelawn farmers market nafmnp, fulton
Seafood Specialty · 1
- wild seafood, jessup
Small Grocery Store · 1
- sajed market, clarksville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Maryland
One of 23 counties in Maryland, 6 are shown here.
Compare Howard County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →
Nationwide peers for Howard County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Howard County (5.6%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Maryland.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MD (22.6% here).
- LaSalle Parish, LA · 22.6% low-access
- LaSalle Parish, LA · 22.6% low-access
- Audrain County, MO · 22.6% low-access
- Audrain County, MO · 22.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MD (5.6% here).
- Leavenworth County, KS · 5.6% SNAP
- Leavenworth County, KS · 5.6% SNAP
- Porter County, IN · 5.6% SNAP
- Porter County, IN · 5.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Maryland in context
Howard County sits inside Maryland (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Howard County, MD are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 24027. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.