County food-access profile · West Virginia
Kanawha County, WV
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kanawha 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).
- 27.7%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 15.8%
- on SNAP
- 177K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
27.7% of Kanawha County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 22
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 9.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.7%
- 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 Kanawha County's low-access share at 27.7%, above the national share. 22 of the county's 53 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 53,408 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 17,756 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 Kanawha County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kanawha County's 27.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,104 most-affected nationwide.
Kanawha County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 53 census tracts in Kanawha County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Kanawha County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Kanawha
Kanawha County, WV
27.7 % 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 | 53 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 193,063 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 22 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 53,408 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 17,756 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 176,537 |
| Median Household Income | $60,943 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 12,081 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.5%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
About 15.8% of Kanawha County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 27.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 12,081 households here.
- 9.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Kanawha County
above the national share
8 of Kanawha County's 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.1% of all its tracts.
A further 14 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 22.
An estimated 53,408 residents, roughly 27.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 17,756 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 31 tracts (58.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Kanawha County
Kanawha County has 206 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 98 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 98
- 7-eleven 35904h, charleston
- 7-eleven 35914j, saint albans
- 7-eleven 35930j, charleston
- 7-eleven 35933j, charleston
- 7-eleven 35964h, clendenin
- 7-eleven 35910, charleston
- 7-eleven 35932a, charleston
- 7-eleven 35942a, south charleston
- alex lane marathon, charleston
- certified oil 400218, charleston
- certified oil 400218, charleston
- corridor g tiger mart 185, south charleston
- d & i carry out, saint albans
- day & night market, charleston
- dunbar food mart inc., dunbar
- flowers bakery outlet 453, charleston
- foodtown deli & grocery llc, charleston
- go mart 100, elkview
- go mart 12, charleston
- go mart 15, saint albans
- go mart 20, nitro
- go mart 22, cedar grove
- go mart 23, spring hill
- go mart 24, charleston
- go mart 27, dunbar
- go mart 30, marmet
- go mart 31, charleston
- go mart 32, saint albans
- go mart 38, charleston
- go mart 49, cabin creek
- go mart 61, saint albans
- go mart 62, dunbar
- go mart 66, saint albans
- go mart 7, charleston
- go mart 76, dunbar
- go mart 79, sissonville
- go mart 8, charleston
- king onestop shop, charleston
- little general 4095, charleston
- little coal river shell, alum creek
- little general 4015, alum creek
- little general 4080, belle
- little general 4090, marmet
- little general 4105, charleston
- little general 4120, charleston
- little general 4135, elkview
- little general 4150, charleston
- little general 5030, elkview
- little general 7590, hernshaw
- little general store inc 7710, cross lanes
- m & m mart, charleston
- mccorkle avenue shell, south charleston
- miss ruby's corner market, charleston
- one stop 8101, south charleston
- one stop 8102, saint albans
- one stop 8103, charleston
- one stop 8109, south charleston
- one stop 8111, charleston
- one stop 8115, charleston
- one stop 8129, charleston
- one stop 8507, south charleston
- one stop 8508, charleston
- one stop 8514, charleston
- one stop 8517, south charleston
- one stop 8522, charleston
- owv inc, charleston
- par mar store 106, nitro
- par mar store 115, charleston
- par mar store 116, charleston
- par mar store 15, belle
- par mar store 16, saint albans
- par mar store 171, elkview
- par mar store 173, charleston
- par mar store 225, charleston
- par mar store 27, st albans
- par mar store 73, charleston
- par mar store 76, south charleston
- par mar store 94, cabin creek
- par mar store 96, charleston
- par mar store 97, saint albans
- quick country store 1, elkview
- rebel 921, charleston
- rebel 923, clendenin
- rich oil 3958, charleston
- s & d general store, tornado
- speedway 3960, charleston
- speedway 9278, charleston
- speedway 9786, charleston
- sheetz 585, south charleston
- sheetz 612, charleston
- sheetz 847, charleston
- sheetz 857, charleston
- speedway 7195, south charleston
- speedway 9222, charleston
- speedway 9289, elkview
- video village, cedar grove
- virgils store, pond gap
- witcher creek exxon 176, belle
Combination Grocery/Other · 72
- cvs 2148, charleston
- cvs pharmacy 4207, charleston
- cvs pharmacy 4244, dunbar
- cvs pharmacy 5957, elkview
- cvs pharmacy 6306, st albans
- dollar general 11066, east bank
- dollar general 14134, elkview
- dollar general 14334, dunbar
- dollar general 164, south charleston
- dollar general 18888, saint albans
- dollar general 19552, saint albans
- dollar general 3704, charleston
- dollar general 4974, marmet
- dollartree 10450, saint albans
- dollartree 10876, dunbar
- dollartree 9587, charleston
- dollar general 12036, charleston
- dollar general 1466, saint albans
- dollar general 15292, charleston
- dollar general 15424, charleston
- dollar general 15449, charleston
- dollar general 15622, charleston
- dollar general 16934, charleston
- dollar general 17786, saint albans
- dollar general 17984, miami
- dollar general 20518, glasgow
- dollar general 20704, charleston
- dollar general 22994, charleston
- dollar general 23092, charleston
- dollar general 23746, south charleston
- dollar general 24191, saint albans
- dollar general 25043, nitro
- dollar general 30967, belle
- dollar general 3102, elkview
- dollar general 3546, charleston
- dollar general 4501, chelyan
- dollar general 6622, charleston
- dollar general 7694, belle
- dollar tree 297, south charleston
- dollar tree 5621, charleston
- dollar tree 6, charleston
- dollar tree 7376, elkview
- dollar tree 7604, charleston
- dollar tree 8489, belle
- dollar tree 891, charleston
- dollar tree 946, charleston
- family dollar 11927, clendenin
- family dollar 12023, charleston
- family dollar 603, marmet
- family dollar 8925, charleston
- family dollar store 1897, dunbar
- family dollar store 2271, charleston
- family dollar store 2820, charleston
- family dollar store 3569, south charleston
- family dollar store 4445, south charleston
- family dollar store 469, elkview
- family dollar store 628, charleston
- family dollar store 9319, charleston
- fruth pharmacy 14, charleston
- fruth pharmacy 25, charleston
- fruth pharmacy 7, nitro
- walgreens 11750, cross lanes
- walgreens 12454, charleston
- walgreens 17111, saint albans
- walgreens 17353, charleston
- walgreens 17408, charleston
- walgreens 17633, elkview
- walgreens 17738, south charleston
- walgreens 17855, charleston
- walgreens 19108, charleston
- walgreens 19653, charleston
- walgreens 19790, dunbar
Super Store · 16
- bigley piggly wiggly, charleston
- kroger 807, elkview
- kroger 725, saint albans
- kroger 754, marmet
- kroger 763, charleston
- kroger 768, dunbar
- kroger 769, charleston
- kroger 772, charleston
- kroger 778, charleston
- kroger 785, charleston
- sam's club 6457, s charleston
- sissonville foodland inc, charleston
- target store 1261, charleston
- walmart 4278, belle
- walmart supercenter 2036, charleston
- walmart supercenter 2576, charleston
Supermarket · 10
- aldi 61015, dunbar
- aldi 61080 61080, south charleston
- big chimney market, charleston
- black angus meas and deli, saint albans
- elkview supermarket, elkview
- kanawha terrace supermarket, saint albans
- piggly wiggly of kanawha city, charleston
- pocatalico save a lot, charleston
- save-a-lot 246, clendenin
- save a lot, charleston
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- new asian market, south charleston
- spice of life, charleston
- wv meats llc, charleston
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- all american prime cuts, saint albans
- johnnies fresh meat market, charleston
Small Grocery Store · 2
- mikes damas mart, south charleston
- pacific international market inc, charleston
Farmers' Market · 1
- capitol market, charleston
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- the purple onion fruit & veggie co., charleston
Large Grocery Store · 1
- fas chek 3, charleston
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Kanawha County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Kanawha 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 Kanawha County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kanawha County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Kanawha County? ▼
Is Kanawha County a food desert? ▼
What share of Kanawha 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.