County food-access profile · Delaware
Kent County, DE
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kent 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).
- 21.6%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 13.7%
- on SNAP
- 188K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
21.6% of Kent County residents live in a low-access area, and 7 of its 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 14
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 6.6%
- 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).
USDA data puts Kent County's low-access share at 21.6%, above the national share. 14 of the county's 32 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 35,057 people. 7 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 10,546 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 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
All 32 census tracts in Kent County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Kent County vs. other Delaware counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Delaware
- Kent
Kent County, DE
21.6 % low-access
- New Castle
New Castle County, DE
28.5 % low-access
- Sussex
Sussex County, DE
28.6 % 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 13.7% of Kent County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 21.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,815 households here.
- 6.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 7 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 Kent County
above the national share
7 of Kent County's 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.9% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 14.
An estimated 35,057 residents, roughly 21.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 10,546 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (56.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Delaware
Compare Kent County vs New Castle County → · All Delaware counties →
Food access nationally, Delaware in context
Kent County sits inside Delaware (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 Kent County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kent County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Kent County? ▼
Is Kent County a food desert? ▼
What share of Kent 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.