Signature · 10.9% SNAP (4th pct in WV)
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)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jefferson County, WV
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 28.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.4 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 10.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 13% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Wayne County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Jefferson County ranks #1,043 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #11 of 52 counties in WV (28.5% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,043
- national by low-access %
- #11
- in WV
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 10.9% SNAP (4th pct in WV) (-1.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
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
15 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Jefferson County has 7 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.
Jefferson County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Gilmer
Gilmer 81.6%
81.6 % low-access
- Wood 29.8
Wood 29.8%
29.8 % low-access
- Jefferson 28.5
Jefferson 28.5%
28.5 % low-access
- Wayne 28.4
Wayne 28.4%
28.4 % low-access
- Hampshire 28.1
Hampshire 28.1%
28.1 % low-access
- Kanawha 27.7
Kanawha 27.7%
27.7 % low-access
- Pleasants 0
Pleasants 0%
0 % 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 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in West Virginia
One of 54 counties in West Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Jefferson County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Jefferson County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Jefferson County (10.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside West Virginia.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WV (28.5% here).
- Whitman County, WA · 28.5% low-access
- Whitman County, WA · 28.5% low-access
- Ashland County, WI · 28.5% low-access
- Ashland County, WI · 28.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WV (10.9% here).
- Crawford County, WI · 10.9% SNAP
- Crawford County, WI · 10.9% SNAP
- Harrisonburg city, VA · 10.9% SNAP
- Harrisonburg city, VA · 10.9% 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, West Virginia in context
Jefferson County sits inside West Virginia (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 Jefferson County, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54037. 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.