County food-access profile · Rhode Island
Kent County, RI
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).
- 32.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 12.0%
- on SNAP
- 171K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.2% of Kent County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 39 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 22
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.5%
- 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 32.2%, above the national share. 22 of the county's 39 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 53,423 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,201 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 32.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #803 most-affected nationwide.
Kent County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 39 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 Rhode Island counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Rhode Island
- Kent
Kent County, RI
32.2 % low-access
- Bristol
Bristol County, RI
56 % low-access
- Newport
Newport County, RI
33.5 % low-access
- Providence 15.9
Providence County, RI
15.9 % low-access
- Washington
Washington County, RI
31.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 39 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 166,158 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 22 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 53,423 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,201 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 171,456 |
| Median Household Income | $94,345 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,756 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 12.0% of Kent County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,756 households here.
- 6.0% 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 Kent County
above the national share
2 of Kent County's 39 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.1% of all its tracts.
A further 20 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 22.
An estimated 53,423 residents, roughly 32.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,201 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (43.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Kent County
Kent County has 131 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 62 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 62
- 7-eleven 33176c 33176c, warwick
- a&d green energy, warwick
- aanya llc - dan's convenience store, warwick
- aisha llc - dba coventry mart, coventry
- american dream mart smoke shop, warwick
- back to basics, east greenwich
- buttonwoods one stop, warwick
- cumberland farms 1104, west warwick
- cumberland farms 1127, west warwick
- cumberland farms 1205, west warwick
- cumberland farms 1219, coventry
- cumberland farms 1236, warwick
- cumberland farms 1247, coventry
- cumberland farms 1250, coventry
- cumberland farms 1276, west warwick
- colbea enterprises llc 19, warwick
- colbea enterprises llc 27, east greenwich
- colbea enterprises llc 28, warwick
- colbea enterprises llc 32, west greenwich
- colbea enterprises llc 35, east greenwich
- colbea enterprises llc 39, warwick
- colbea enterprises llc 41, warwick
- cumberland farms 1290, coventry
- cumberland farms 1291, warwick
- cumberland farms 1292, warwick
- cumberland farms 1298, warwick
- cumberland farms 1305, warwick
- cumberland farms 1307, east greenwich
- cumberland farms, inc 1217, e greenwich
- cumberland farms, inc 1257, e greenwich
- drsm warwick mart llc, warwick
- fast freddies post road 210, warwick
- flowers bakery outlet 1136, warwick
- gulf express, warwick
- jad bald hill gas inc, warwick
- jefferson blvd mini mart inc, warwick
- jk west warwick corporation, west warwick
- joe's kwik mart 5015, warwick
- mahant bread n stuff inc, west warwick
- main street convenience store, east greenwich
- mk fuel & mart 1, west warwick
- oakies, warwick
- pinoy lane food mart inc, warwick
- prince food mart, west warwick
- providence street shell llc, west warwick
- saversmart3, west warwick
- seeno mini mart inc, warwick
- shahid 3 llc, west warwick
- shop n go, warwick
- shop smart, warwick
- speedway 2816, warwick
- speedway 2819, west warwick
- speedway 2825, coventry
- speedway 2834, warwick
- summer smoke and market, warwick
- sunny hill convenience store, east greenwich
- sunoco mart, warwick
- sunoco/makalu gas and mart, warwick
- ta west greewich 0253, west greenwich
- tiogue food and snack, coventry
- warwick gas, warwick
- zero point, warwick
Combination Grocery/Other · 41
- cvs 311, east greenwich
- cvs pharmacy 2323, west warwick
- cvs pharmacy 2384, west warwick
- cvs pharmacy 621, coventry
- cvs pharmacy 642, warwick
- cvs pharmacy 689, warwick
- cvs pharmacy 733, warwick
- cvs pharmacy 397, west warwick
- cvs pharmacy 5107, east greenwich
- cvs pharmacy 852, coventry
- dollar general 18664, west warwick
- dollar tree 3580, coventry
- dollar general 18709, coventry
- dollar general 23299, coventry
- dollar general 24188, warwick
- dollar general 24787, coventry
- dollar general store 17325, warwick
- dollar tree 1477, warwick
- dollar tree 5217, warwick
- dollar tree 5350, warwick
- dollar tree 7429, west warwick
- dollar tree 7988, warwick
- dollar tree 8552, west warwick
- dollar tree 8569, warwick
- family dollar 11982, west warwick
- family dollar 12421, warwick
- family dollar 2120, warwick
- family dollar 2924, warwick
- family dollar 3538, west warwick
- family dollar 4947, coventry
- family dollar 8015, coventry
- fishboy llc - captain's catch warwick, warwick
- ocean state job lot 104, coventry
- ocean state job lot 118, warwick
- ocean state job lot 126, warwick
- ocean state job lot 128, warwick
- walgreens 06592, warwick
- walgreens 11128, coventry
- walgreens 19838, warwick
- walgreens 3345, warwick
- walgreens 3704, warwick
Super Store · 12
- bj's wholesale club 119, coventry
- bj's wholesale club, inc. 393, warwick
- daves marketplace 1, warwick
- daves marketplace 9, coventry
- daves marketplace e greenwich sq 7, e greenwich
- daves marketplace of airport road 4, warwick
- market basket 89, warwick
- target 1188, warwick
- target 2430, warwick
- walmart 2373, warwick
- walmart 2747, warwick
- walmart supercenter 2283, coventry
Supermarket · 10
- aldi 67032 67032, warwick
- better val-u supermarkets inc/jerry's supermarket 1522, west warwick
- dockside, warwick
- rochs arnold farm inc, west greenwich
- shaw's supermarket 441, warwick
- stop & shop 709, warwick
- stop & shop 720, coventry
- stop & shop 726, warwick
- stop & shop 739, warwick
- trader joe's 518, warwick
Farmers' Market · 2
- goddard park farmers market, east greenwich
- thundermist west warwick farmers mkt/farm fresh ri, west warwick
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- kaloo halal market 1, warwick
- sandy lane meat market llc, warwick
Large Grocery Store · 1
- tom's fruit & deli inc, coventry
Seafood Specialty · 1
- metro lobster and seafood, warwick
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Rhode Island
Compare Kent County vs Bristol County → · All Rhode Island counties →
Food access nationally, Rhode Island in context
Kent County sits inside Rhode Island (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.