PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Kershaw County, SC

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kershaw 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).

33.5%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
11.8%
on SNAP
68K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

33.5% of Kershaw County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
4.1%
households, no vehicle
13.2%
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 Kershaw County's low-access share at 33.5%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 15 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,674 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,459 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 Kershaw County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kershaw County's 33.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #708 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Kershaw County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Kershaw County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Kershaw County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (40.0%) 3 tracts limited (20.0%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (40.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 20% Severe 40% Food-access tier distribution: Kershaw County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Kershaw County vs. other South Carolina counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Carolina

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Kershaw County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)61,697
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population20,674
Low-Access Share33.5%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,459

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Kershaw County
IndicatorValue
Population68,314
Median Household Income$68,231
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households3,175
SNAP Participation Rate11.8%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.5%
SNAP participation in Kershaw County 11.8%

About 11.8% of Kershaw County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,175 households here.
  • 4.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Kershaw County

above the national share

6 of Kershaw County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 20,674 residents, roughly 33.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 7,459 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Kershaw County

Kershaw County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 32 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 32

  • 365 stores 120, camden
  • cassatt county store, cassatt
  • circle k 272315, elgin
  • circle k 2723238, camden
  • circle k 2723239, camden
  • circle k 2723242, camden
  • circle k store 5371, lugoff
  • corner pantry #162 162, lugoff
  • corner pantry 138, camden
  • d mart 1, camden
  • d mart 103 1, camden
  • dusty bend discount beverage, camden
  • gate petroleum 308, camden
  • gate service station 325, camden
  • jimmy's market, kershaw
  • joe's mart shop n go, camden
  • kanisha investments llc, camden
  • los catrachos tienda latina, elgin
  • love's travel stop 751, elgin
  • lucky stop, camden
  • lucky7, lugoff
  • murphy express 8629, camden
  • pilot travel center 346, lugoff
  • pilot travel center 346, lugoff
  • quick stop, camden
  • refuel 1045, camden
  • ridgeway mart, ridgeway
  • spinx 281, elgin
  • springvale country store, ridgeway
  • the wildwood market, lugoff
  • white pond food n beverage stop, elgin
  • young's 3611, camden

Combination Grocery/Other · 22

  • cvs pharmacy 4281, camden
  • dollar general 18536, camden
  • dollar general 18904, cassatt
  • dollar general 3340, camden
  • dollar general 4588, camden
  • dollar general 4983, lugoff
  • dollar general 5863, elgin
  • dollar general 9915, camden
  • dollar general 16985, cassatt
  • dollar general 20042, lugoff
  • dollar general 21218, camden
  • dollar general 23288, westville
  • dollar general 24529, lugoff
  • dollar general 25924, ridgeway
  • dollar general store 16526, lugoff
  • dollar general store 7092, bethune
  • dollar tree 1528, camden
  • dollar tree 6609, camden
  • family dollar 13605, bethune
  • family dollar 3674, elgin
  • walgreen 09232, camden
  • walgreens 17024, camden

Super Store · 4

  • camden iga 633, camden
  • elgin iga 646, elgin
  • piggly wiggly 78, camden
  • walmart 634, camden

Supermarket · 3

  • food lion 2629, elgin
  • food lion 60, camden
  • food lion 749, lugoff

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • mobile nutrition center, camden

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • ole timey meats camden, camden

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • bethune discount foods, bethune

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • tienda anita n/a, camden

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Kershaw County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Kershaw County sits inside South Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Kershaw County has low food access? ▼
33.5% of residents in Kershaw County, SC live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kershaw County? ▼
11.8% of households in Kershaw County receive SNAP, covering 3,175 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Kershaw County? ▼
The poverty rate in Kershaw County, SC is 13.2%, with a median household income of $68,231 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Kershaw County a food desert? ▼
6 of Kershaw County's 15 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Kershaw County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.1% of households in Kershaw County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.