Signature · 6.0% low-access (12th pct)
Jackson County, NC
Jackson County lands in the lower national band on low-access (6.0%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 6.0%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.2%
- on SNAP
- 44K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jackson County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 6.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -16.1 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pamlico County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Jackson County lands in the lower national band (6.0%, #2,762 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,762
- national by low-access %
- #81
- in NC
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 749
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 6.0% low-access (12th pct) (-16.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Jackson County compares nationally
Food access in Jackson County compares favorably nationally: its 6.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,765).
Jackson County's lower-band USDA tier split
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Jackson County has 1 urban and 8 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.
Jackson County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Mitchell 6.5
Mitchell 6.5%
6.5 % low-access
- Vance 6.1
Vance 6.1%
6.1 % low-access
- Jackson 6
Jackson 6%
6 % low-access
- Pamlico 5.9
Pamlico 5.9%
5.9 % low-access
- Polk 5.7
Polk 5.7%
5.7 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 40,271 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,426 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 749 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 43,771 |
| Median Household Income | $55,815 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,242 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in Jackson County
Jackson County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- britchel inc dba elders superette, whittier
- catamount pump & go, sylva
- catamount travel center - cullowhee 1, cullowhee
- catamount travel center - whittier 2, whittier
- el mercadito, sylva
- flowers bakery outlet 725, sylva
- hot spot 1000, sylva
- nouria 716 east main street 835, sylva
- spinx 302, cashiers
- spinx 303, cashiers
- super track, whittier
- top cat grocery, sylva
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 7546, sylva
- dollar general 18789, tuchasegee
- dollar general 2156, cashiers
- dollar general 10160, whittier
- dollar general 23836, sylva
- dollar general store 17313, sylva
- dollar tree 556, sylva
- family dollar 3851, whittier
- los garcias tienda, tuckasegee
- mountain fresh produce, whittier
- walgreens 11560, sylva
Supermarket · 6
- food lion 1175, sylva
- food lion 1587, whittier
- harolds supermarket no, sylva
- ingles markets 110, cashiers
- ingles markets 50, sylva
- sav mor 850, sylva
Farmers' Market · 2
- jackson county farmers market, sylva
- the 'whee market, cullowhee
Super Store · 1
- walmart 2440, sylva
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Jackson County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Jackson County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Jackson County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (6.0% here).
- St. Louis city, MO · 6.0% low-access
- St. Louis city, MO · 6.0% low-access
- Prentiss County, MS · 6.0% low-access
- Prentiss County, MS · 6.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (12.2% here).
- Hamilton County, OH · 12.2% SNAP
- Hamilton County, OH · 12.2% SNAP
- Grady County, OK · 12.2% SNAP
- Grady County, OK · 12.2% 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.
Jackson County inside a lower low-access state context
Jackson County sits inside North Carolina (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 Jackson County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37099. 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.