Signature · 13.7% SNAP (100th pct in DE)
Kent County, DE
Kent County stands out on SNAP (13.7%, +1.6 pts vs U.S.) with 21.6% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 21.6%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 13.7%
- on SNAP
- 188K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Kent County, DE
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 21.6% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH -0.5 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 7 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 22% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: New Castle County (+ 6.9 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Kent County ranks #1,557 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #3 of 3 counties in DE (21.6% low-access; 7 food-desert tracts).
- #1,557
- national by low-access %
- #3
- in DE
- 14
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- 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: 13.7% SNAP (100th pct in DE) (+1.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Kent County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kent County's 21.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,557 most-affected nationwide.
Kent County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
32 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 7 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Kent County has 19 urban and 13 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.
Kent County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Delaware, not a full county-board reprint
- Sussex
Sussex 28.6%
28.6 % low-access
- New Castle
New Castle 28.5%
28.5 % low-access
- Kent
Kent 21.6%
21.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 32 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 162,310 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 14 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 7 |
| Low-Access Population | 35,057 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.6%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 10,546 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 187,604 |
| Median Household Income | $74,477 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,815 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Kent County
Kent County has 129 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 12 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 50 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 50
- 7 eleven 36876a, dover
- aaa deli inc, dover
- country corners market - milford 7, milford
- country cupboard, felton
- country farm, dover
- ernie's country store, magnolia
- farmington mini mart, greenwood
- felton c store llc, felton
- felton goose creek 8, felton
- gas & go, smyrna
- grocery basket inc, dover
- highs of baltimore, llc 160, dover
- hyltons market, camden
- king market llc 1, smyrna
- little grocer, dover
- magic 7, dover
- mawahs international market llc 7177147141, dover
- mikes food mart, dover
- nicks corner store, dover
- one stop, dover
- one stop, dover
- p & n seaford mart inc., felton
- royal farms 110, dover
- royal farms 117, hartly
- royal farms 119, dover
- royal farms 121, harrington
- royal farms 13, felton
- royal farms 139, dover
- royal farms 146, smyrna
- royal farms 151, dover
- shore stop 231, dover
- shore stop 232, cheswold
- shore stop 237, milford
- shore stop 243, camden
- shore stop 245, frederica
- shore stop 248, dover
- shore stop 256, milford
- shore stop 257, harrington
- speedway 2812, dover
- the country store inc, kenton
- tia's asian spanish grocery store, dover
- tienda la herencia, smyrna
- wawa 848, dover
- wawa food market 838, dover
- wawa food market 845, dover
- wawa food market 853, smyrna
- wawa food market 855, dover
- wawa store 876, camden
- west indian caricom market, dover
- woodside goose creek 7, felton
Combination Grocery/Other · 43
- cvs 1911, dover
- cvs 2069, dover
- camden wyoming market, llc, wyoming
- dollartree 8727, dover
- dollar general 0364, smyrna
- dollar general 12035, smyrna
- dollar general 12556, dover
- dollar general 13161, felton
- dollar general 18321, dover
- dollar general 19716, clayton
- dollar general 21448, dover
- dollar general 23187, dover
- dollar general 23782, felton
- dollar general 2427, harrington
- dollar general 24490, hartly
- dollar general 25013, dover
- dollar general 25116, frederica
- dollar general 384, dover
- dollar general 7789, magnolia
- dollar general 9155, dover
- dollar tree 1563, dover
- dollar tree 1799, dover
- dollar tree 3662, camden
- dollar tree 4190, smyrna
- dollar tree 4195, dover
- dollar tree 7874, dover
- family dollar 10906, frederica
- family dollar 11453, cheswold
- family dollar 11617, hartly
- family dollar store 10799, marydel
- family dollar store 1162, harrington
- family dollar store 1766, dover
- family dollar store 2380, smyrna
- family dollar store 3634, dover
- fola international market, dover
- mule run meats, milford
- ocean state job lot 185, dover
- walgreens 09687, dover
- walgreens 11060, dover
- walgreens 11063, magnolia
- walgreens 11134, smyrna
- walgreens 11756, harrington
- walgreens 15632, camden
Supermarket · 12
- acme 2836, smyrna
- aldi 71112, camden
- aldi 71119, dover
- aldi 71127, smyrna
- food lion 1385, dover
- food lion 1419, dover
- food lion 1426, smyrna
- food lion 1528, harrington
- redner's warehouse market 444, dover
- redners warehouse market 58, camden
- redners warehouse markets 13, dover
- safeway 1763, dover
Super Store · 7
- bylers store, dover
- bylers store inc/harrington, harrington
- lidl 1166, dover
- sam's club 6330, dover
- target stores 1312, dover
- walmart 5039, camden
- walmart supercenter 1736, dover
Small Grocery Store · 6
- e & m african caribbean supermarket, dover
- el super latin groceries, dover
- food mart- oriental spanish mart, dover
- good news health food llc, dover
- kabab korner groceries, dover
- tienda latina, dover
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- la tropicana, smyrna
- mc caribbean market, dover
- pirits market, dover
- produce village llc, dover
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- bodine farms meat market, hartly
- haass' family butcher shop, dover
Farmers' Market · 1
- capital city farmers market, dover
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- produce junction inc., dover
Large Grocery Store · 1
- caribbean market & multi service 2, dover
Military Commissary · 1
- dover afb commissary 2412, dover afb
Seafood Specialty · 1
- eastern shore seafood inc, smyrna
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Delaware
Compare Kent County vs New Castle County → · All Delaware counties →
Nationwide peers for Kent County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Kent County (13.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Delaware.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside DE (21.6% here).
- Cerro Gordo County, IA · 21.6% low-access
- Cerro Gordo County, IA · 21.6% low-access
- Boyle County, KY · 21.6% low-access
- Boyle County, KY · 21.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside DE (13.7% here).
- Orange County, FL · 13.7% SNAP
- Orange County, FL · 13.7% SNAP
- Screven County, GA · 13.7% SNAP
- Screven County, GA · 13.7% 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, Delaware in context
Kent County sits inside Delaware (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 Kent County, DE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 10001. 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.