PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Jefferson County, TN

Jefferson 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.

16.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
10.8%
on SNAP
57K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

16.8% of Jefferson County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
2.8%
households, no vehicle
11.4%
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).

Jefferson County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.8% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,624 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,693 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 Jefferson County compares nationally

Jefferson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.8% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,967).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (77.8%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 78% Limited 11% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Jefferson County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Jefferson County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Jefferson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)51,407
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,624
Low-Access Share16.8%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,693

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Jefferson County
IndicatorValue
Population56,864
Median Household Income$66,114
Poverty Rate11.4%below the national average
SNAP Households2,360
SNAP Participation Rate10.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.9%
SNAP participation in Jefferson County 10.8%

About 10.8% of Jefferson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,360 households here.
  • 2.8% 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 Jefferson County

near the national share

1 of Jefferson County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 8,624 residents, roughly 16.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,693 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Jefferson County

Jefferson County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • casey's 4608, white pine
  • douglas lake maket, white pine
  • easy in market, white pine
  • fastop markets 203, jefferson city
  • fastop markets 211, dandridge
  • harry's 29, dandridge
  • harry's 30, white pine
  • lakeview market, jefferson city
  • lakeview market and deli, dandridge
  • lee's food mart 29, jefferson city
  • love' travel stops & country stores, inc 306, dandridge
  • murphy usa 7276, jefferson city
  • new market grocery, new market
  • one mart #2, dandridge
  • pilot travel center 226, dandridge
  • pilot travel center 412, white pine
  • pilot travel center 4596, white pine
  • roadrunner market 6081, jefferson city
  • shorty's food mart, dandridge
  • speedway 7159, dandridge
  • weigel's 1096, white pine
  • weigel's 61, dandridge
  • weigel's 77, jefferson city
  • weigels 1112, jefferson city
  • woodys market, white pine

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • big lots 3164, jefferson city
  • cvs pharmacy 3769, jefferson city
  • dollar general 13883, strawberry plains
  • dollar general 19377, dandridge
  • dollar general 3894, white pine
  • dollar general 4303, talbott
  • dollar general 4422, dandridge
  • dollar general 453, jefferson city
  • dollar general 21199, new market
  • dollar general 21718, dandridge
  • dollar general 21947, dandridge
  • dollar general 30077, talbott
  • dollar tree 2290, jefferson city
  • family dollar 11253, new market
  • family dollar store 626, white pine
  • family dollar store 6639, dandridge
  • walgreens 09430, jefferson city

Supermarket · 4

  • food city 615, jefferson city
  • food city 618, white pine
  • food city 630, dandridge
  • price less foods 474, jefferson city

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • from the ground up, new market

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 724, jefferson city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Jefferson County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Jefferson County sits inside Tennessee (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 Jefferson County has low food access? ▼
16.8% of residents in Jefferson County, TN 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 Jefferson County? ▼
10.8% of households in Jefferson County receive SNAP, covering 2,360 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Jefferson County, TN is 11.4%, with a median household income of $66,114 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Jefferson County a food desert? ▼
1 of Jefferson County's 9 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 Jefferson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.8% of households in Jefferson 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.