County food-access profile · West Virginia
Jefferson County, WV
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Jefferson 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).
- 28.5%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.9%
- on SNAP
- 59K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.5% of Jefferson County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.7%
- 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 Jefferson County's low-access share at 28.5%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 15 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,240 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,944 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
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jefferson County's 28.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,050 most-affected nationwide.
Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 15 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).
Jefferson County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Jefferson
Jefferson County, WV
28.5 % low-access
- Barbour 11.4
Barbour County, WV
11.4 % low-access
- Berkeley
Berkeley County, WV
38.8 % low-access
- Boone 6.6
Boone County, WV
6.6 % low-access
- Braxton
Braxton County, WV
18.3 % low-access
- Brooke
Brooke County, WV
16.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 53,498 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,240 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,944 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 59,260 |
| Median Household Income | $98,806 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,492 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 10.9% of Jefferson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,492 households here.
- 5.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Jefferson County
above the national share
2 of Jefferson County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.3% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 15,240 residents, roughly 28.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,944 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (73.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 24
- 7 seas, kearneysville
- 7-eleven 10673j, ranson
- 7-eleven 20685j, shepherdstown
- 7-eleven inc f 34688a, ranson
- 7-eleven 10663b, charles town
- 7-eleven 28309b, charles town
- 7-eleven 28315, harpers ferry
- 7-eleven 28316b 28316b, charles town
- bakerton market, harpers ferry
- circle k, kearneysville
- e z mart, harpers ferry
- foodway supermarket, harpers ferry
- handi stop, charles town
- m.a. citgo, kearneysville
- mi tienda latina 1, charles town
- orr's farm market at the junction 2, shenandoah junction
- sheetz 160, shepherdstown
- sheetz 240, charles town
- sheetz 438, charles town
- sheetz 762, charles town
- shepherd university riverside market, shepherdstown
- shepherdstown rocs 642, shepherdstown
- somerset shell 618, charles town
- wawa store 6901, ranson
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- cvs pharmacy 1428, ranson
- cvs pharmacy 4159, charles town
- dollartree 10445, ranson
- dollar general 11913, ranson
- dollar general 16074, charles town
- dollar general 20170, shenandoah junction
- dollar general 24501, harpers ferry
- dollar general 4258, shepherdstown
- dollar general store 16066, kearneysville
- dollar tree 7750, charles town
- dollar tree 973, charles town
- walgreens 15189, charles town
- walgreens 19709, shepherdstown
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 77023 77023, charles town
- food lion 663, charles town
- food lion 871, shepherdstown
- martins food market 6102, charles town
- save a lot 23642, charles town
- weis markets 183, ranson
Farmers' Market · 3
- charles town farmers market, charles town
- shepherdstown farmers market, shepherdstown
- st. isidore farmers market, charles town
Small Grocery Store · 3
- bushel and peck, charles town
- community garden market, shepherdstown
- mi esperanza latina, charles town
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2566, charles town
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Jefferson County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Jefferson County sits inside West Virginia (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 Jefferson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Jefferson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County? ▼
Is Jefferson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Jefferson 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.