County food-access profile · North Carolina
Johnston County, NC
Johnston 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.
- 12.5%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 11.4%
- on SNAP
- 234K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
12.5% of Johnston County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 25 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 3.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.6%
- 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).
Johnston County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.5% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 25 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 21,026 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,861 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 Johnston County compares nationally
Johnston County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.5% low-access share that beats 26% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,305).
Johnston County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 25 census tracts in Johnston County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Johnston County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Johnston
Johnston County, NC
12.5 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 25 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 168,878 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 21,026 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,861 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 234,263 |
| Median Household Income | $83,384 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,747 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
About 11.4% of Johnston County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 12.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,747 households here.
- 3.7% 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 Johnston County
near the national share
2 of Johnston County's 25 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.0% 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 21,026 residents, roughly 12.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,861 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 21 tracts (84.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Johnston County
Johnston County has 157 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 72 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 72
- 365 fast mart #129, selma
- 42 express food mart & grill, middlesex
- 5110 market & cafe, selma
- 7-eleven, inc. 42333h, kenly
- 7-eleven #42284a 42284a, clayton
- 777 food mart inc, middlesex
- a & h kwik mart, selma
- archer lodge express, archer lodge
- at mart food, smithfield
- avid cstores llc, smithfield
- barefoot country store & grill, four oaks
- benson family fare 114, benson
- big boy's truckstop, kenly
- brotherhood market inc, selma
- clayton mart, clayton
- circle k 2720931, kenly
- circle k 2723119, smithfield
- circle k 2723128, clayton
- express lane, smithfield
- express mart, benson
- gti enterprise, smithfield
- han-dee hugos 250, smithfield
- han-dee hugo's 15, selma
- han-dee hugo's 61, clayton
- han-dee hugo's 74, clayton
- han-dee hugo's 97, clayton
- han-dee hugos 12, selma
- handi mart 1, clayton
- handy mart 4719, smithfield
- handy mart 4727, princeton
- handy mart 4764, garner
- highway 42 family fare 298, garner
- holley's open air market inc, smithfield
- jimmy's gas mart, clayton
- jeet 2003 food inc, clayton
- kenly food mart, kenly
- logans safeway mini mart corp, four oaks
- love's travel stop 412, dunn
- meadow market, benson
- meemees inc 1, smithfield
- micro mini mart inc, micro
- murphy express 8506, zebulon
- murphy express 8531, smithfield
- murphy express 8549, garner
- murphy usa 6938, clayton
- neighborhood store llc, selma
- pilot travel center 683, kenly
- pine level food mart, pine level
- pmg ss 22 22, benson
- ramallah food mart, smithfield
- riverwood convenience store, clayton
- safeway of johnston 2 inc, four oaks
- scotchman 3154, benson
- selma mart, selma
- selma mini mart, selma
- sheetz 479, benson
- sheetz 511, smithfield
- sheetz 542, clayton
- sheetz 554, garner
- sheetz 589, garner
- sheetz 596, clayton
- speedway 6959, clayton
- speedway 6960, smithfield
- speedway 6985, garner
- speedway 6988, clayton
- speedway 7901, smithfield
- speedway 7948, garner
- speedway 8206, smithfield
- speedway 8299, clayton
- speedway 8678, clayton
- speedway 8682, four oaks
- tiendas zacatepec 1 llcd, selma
Combination Grocery/Other · 41
- cvs pharmacy 3214, garner
- cvs pharmacy 427, benson
- cvs pharmacy 7580, smithfield
- cvs pharmacy 10481, clayton
- cvs pharmacy 2771, clayton
- dollar general 0635, clayton
- dollar general 14545, kenly
- dollar general 3865, smithfield
- dollar general 7270, kenly
- dollar general 7286, smithfield
- dollar general 8456, selma
- dollar general 8536, benson
- dollar general 8633, princeton
- dollar tree 0769, smithfield
- dollartree 9439, smithfield
- dollar general 10397, pine level
- dollar general 11135, garner
- dollar general 11435, micro
- dollar general 16387, selma
- dollar general 17215, benson
- dollar general 17429, four oaks
- dollar general 18258, zebulon
- dollar general 22352, four oaks
- dollar general 22912, garner
- dollar general 25172, selma
- dollar general 25649, kenly
- dollar general 25693, selma
- dollar general 25826, smithfield
- dollar general 7144, four oaks
- dollar general store 17959, benson
- dollar tree 2292, clayton
- dollar tree 6784, kenly
- family dollar 13732, princeton
- family dollar 536, benson
- family dollar 9328, smithfield
- family dollar store 11241, selma
- family dollar store 684, clayton
- family dollar store 69, smithfield
- walgreen 09434, smithfield
- walgreens 07801, clayton
- walgreens 16156, benson
Supermarket · 22
- aldi 66062, garner
- compare foods, smithfield
- compare foods, clayton
- food lion 1279, garner
- food lion 149, clayton
- food lion 1619, smithfield
- food lion 1685, clayton
- food lion 2101, princeton
- food lion 2234, garner
- food lion 2545, benson
- food lion 2616, benson
- food lion 429, selma
- food lion 587, kenly
- food lion 59, smithfield
- food lion 2197, clayton
- food lion, llc 2258, garner
- iga, selma
- la bonita, clayton
- lowes food store 169, clayton
- publix north carolina lp 2031, garner
- publix north carolina, lp 1727, clayton
- town market, pine level
Super Store · 8
- bj's wholesale club 273, selma
- charlie c's iga 800, four oaks
- charlie c's iga 805, smithfield
- charlie c's iga 870, benson
- harris teeter 229, clayton
- walmart 1321, smithfield
- walmart 5046, clayton
- walmart supercenter 5743, garner
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- frutas y verduras rosy 1, smithfield
- mac's general merchandise, dunn
- morena food market inc, clayton
- tacos don vargas supermarket, benson
- whitley grocery & supply, smithfield
Large Grocery Store · 3
- interfood 3 hermanos, garner
- kenly foods iga 59, kenly
- mclamb's abattoir + meats inc, benson
Seafood Specialty · 2
- clayton seafood market, clayton
- eastern nc crawfish, kenly
Small Grocery Store · 2
- los dos soles tienda mexicana, benson
- tropicana supermarket, selma
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- crooked row produce, llc, selma
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- a1 custom meats llc, clayton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Johnston County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Johnston County sits inside North Carolina (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 Johnston County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Johnston County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Johnston County? ▼
Is Johnston County a food desert? ▼
What share of Johnston 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.