PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Jasper County, SC

Jasper 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.

9.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
11.2%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

9.8% of Jasper County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
17.8%
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).

Jasper County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.8% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 4 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,434 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,263 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 Jasper County compares nationally

Jasper County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.8% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,504).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Jasper County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 4 census tracts in Jasper County, 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 Jasper County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 4 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (75.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 75% Limited 0% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Jasper County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Jasper County vs. other South Carolina counties

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

% 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 Jasper County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts4
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,777
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,434
Low-Access Share9.8%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,263

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Jasper County
IndicatorValue
Population32,166
Median Household Income$65,613
Poverty Rate17.8%above the national average
SNAP Households1,467
SNAP Participation Rate11.2%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Jasper County 11.2%

About 11.2% of Jasper County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,467 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Jasper County

near the national share

1 of Jasper County's 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,434 residents, roughly 9.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,263 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Jasper County

Jasper County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • brenda's country store, garnett
  • bobops 14, ridgeland
  • circle k 2723855, hardeeville
  • circle k 272912, ridgeland
  • convenience store miguelito, ridgeland
  • crazy jax sunoco, ridgeland
  • ez stop 4, ridgeland
  • loop mart point south, yemassee
  • nouria 131 independence boulevard 884, hardeeville
  • nouria 448 independence boulevard 863, hardeeville
  • nouria 8250 main street 829, ridgeland
  • parker's 54, hardeeville
  • parker's 55, ridgeland
  • parker's 99, ridgeland
  • pilot travel center 4569, hardeeville
  • pops 323, yemassee
  • quiktrip 7135, hardeeville
  • refuel 1064, yemassee
  • tillman maruti, tillman

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • cvs pharmacy 11255, hardeeville
  • dollar general 3635, ridgeland
  • dollar general 8775, hardeeville
  • dollar general 9450, ridgeland
  • dollar general store 17140, hardeeville
  • dollar tree 4059, hardeeville
  • dollar tree 8648, ridgeland
  • family dollar store 1455, ridgeland
  • family dollar store 9222, hardeeville
  • walgreens 17239, ridgeland

Supermarket · 3

  • b & t's food fresh market 5870, ridgeland
  • piggly wiggly 284, hardeeville
  • publix 1354, hardeeville

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • la poblanita #5, ridgeland
  • miguelito 2, ridgeland

Super Store · 2

  • piggly wiggly 285, ridgeland
  • walmart supercenter 2832, hardeeville

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza sc025, ridgeland

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • la poblanita #4, ridgeland

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • fiddlers seafood market, ridgeland

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Jasper County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Jasper County sits inside South Carolina (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 Jasper County has low food access? ▼
9.8% of residents in Jasper County, SC 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 Jasper County? ▼
11.2% of households in Jasper County receive SNAP, covering 1,467 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Jasper County? ▼
The poverty rate in Jasper County, SC is 17.8%, with a median household income of $65,613 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Jasper County a food desert? ▼
1 of Jasper County's 4 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 Jasper County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Jasper County 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.