County food-access profile · Florida
Lake County, FL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lake 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).
- 34.3%
- low-access pop.
- 13
- food-desert tracts
- 9.6%
- on SNAP
- 413K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.3% of Lake County residents live in a low-access area, and 13 of its 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 35
- low-access tracts
- 35K
- food-desert residents
- 4.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.9%
- 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 Lake County's low-access share at 34.3%, above the national share. 35 of the county's 56 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 101,974 people. 13 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 35,183 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 Lake County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lake County's 34.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #649 most-affected nationwide.
Lake County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 56 census tracts in Lake County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lake County vs. other Florida counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Florida
- Lake
Lake County, FL
34.3 % low-access
- Alachua 19.2
Alachua County, FL
19.2 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, FL
55.6 % low-access
- Bay
Bay County, FL
31.5 % low-access
- Bradford 1.1
Bradford County, FL
1.1 % low-access
- Brevard
Brevard County, FL
41.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 56 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 297,052 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 35 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 13 |
| Low-Access Population | 101,974 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 35,183 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 412,924 |
| Median Household Income | $73,161 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 15,818 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 9.6% of Lake County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 15,818 households here.
- 4.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 13 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 Lake County
above the national share
13 of Lake County's 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 23.2% of all its tracts.
A further 22 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 35.
An estimated 101,974 residents, roughly 34.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 35,183 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 21 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lake County
Lake County has 261 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 121 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 121
- 3 hermanos food market, eustis
- 3 hermanos mt. dora 2, mount dora
- 7 eleven store 42212a, leesburg
- 7 star discount beverage, leesburg
- 7-eleven #42042h 42042h, grand island
- 7-eleven #42056h 42056h, lady lake
- 7-eleven 25783b, clermont
- 7-eleven 33068a, mount dora
- 7-eleven 33299, clermont
- 7-eleven 35741k, clermont
- 7-eleven 38747h, tavares
- 7-eleven 42347h, eustis
- 7-eleven store 41885h, groveland
- 7-eleven, inc. 34285k, mount dora
- 7-eleven 32273a, clermont
- 7-eleven 32622b, minneola
- 7-eleven 35759b, leesburg
- 7-eleven 38653a, tavares
- 7-eleven store #32607b 32607b, eustis
- 7-eleven store 36706b, eustis
- 7-eleven store 42100a, fruitland park
- 7-eleven store 42219a, eustis
- 7-store #32706c 32706c, clermont
- a & s food mart, leesburg
- aa discount beverage, eustis
- bp food mart, leesburg
- circle k 2704884, clermont
- circle k 2705098, leesburg
- circle k 2705934, lady lake
- circle k 2705935, tavares
- circle k 2705936, lady lake
- circle k 2705938, leesburg
- circle k 2705961, clermont
- circle k 2707275, sorrento
- circle k 2707555, leesburg
- circle k 2708957, clermont
- circle k 2708970, clermont
- circle k 2708979, clermont
- country store, altoona
- chevron food mart, mount dora
- circle k 2722114, minneola
- circle k 2722118, eustis
- circle k 2722290, eustis
- circle k 2722332, leesburg
- circle k 2722403, sorrento
- circle k 2722407, tavares
- circle k 2722501, altona
- circle k 2722503, tavares
- circle k 2722575, fruitland park
- circle k 2722799, sorrento
- circle k 2722804, umatilla
- circle k 2726079, astor
- circle k 2726233, eustis
- circle k 2726298, mascotte
- circle k 7234, clermont
- citgo, mount dora
- clermont gas & convenience, clermont
- dd food mart, fruitland park
- discount food mart, altoona
- easy food mart, yalaha
- eustis discount grocery, eustis
- eustis food mart, eustis
- family grocery food mart, leesburg
- fahim inc 38630a, groveland
- flowers bakery outlet 1310, tavares
- forest hill grocery, deland
- fresh stop #1403 1403, eustis
- fruitland food mart, fruitland park
- green swamp country store, clermont
- hemky, clermont
- howey food mart, howey in the hills
- infinity leesburg inc, leesburg
- lady lake petro, lady lake
- lake dora discount beverage, tavares
- leesburg mobil 426, leesburg
- leesburg shell, leesburg
- martinez meat market, umatilla
- memory shell 503, leesburg
- mid lake food mart, leesburg
- mobil food mart, okahumpka
- mount dora food mart, mount dora
- mount dora mobil, mount dora
- murphy usa 5526, mount dora
- murphy usa 6609, leesburg
- murphy usa 7281, clermont
- myung sung store, eustis
- paisley mart, paisley
- quik stop, tavares
- rk food mart llc, mount dora
- race trac 145, leesburg
- race trac 148, groveland
- race trac 181, mt dora
- race trac 186, lady lake
- race trac 223, eustis
- race trac 2315, clermont
- race trac 465, clermont
- racetrac 2553, minneola
- racetrac 2644, groveland
- rebel 866, clermont
- seven star discount, fruitland park
- sarraa corner store, leesburg
- seaz minimart, eustis
- shree food mart, eustis
- speedway 6647, leesburg
- speedway 6859, leesburg
- star food mart 7, leesburg
- step saver food store #2, okahumpka
- stop & save discount, tavares
- sunfood, tavares
- sunoco food mart, fruitland park
- sunshine express, tavares
- tiny boty, leesburg
- umatilla superette no, umatilla
- us food, eustis
- wawa 5270, mount dora
- wawa 5326, lady lake
- wawa store 5290, leesburg
- wawa 5121, clermont
- wawa 5144, clermont
- wawa store 5442, tavares
- wawa store 5454, leesburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 82
- cvs pharmacy 8937, eustis
- cvs pharmacy 3384, minneola
- cvs pharmacy 4465, tavares
- cvs pharmacy 5120, lady lake
- cvs pharmacy 5139, eustis
- cvs pharmacy 5452, mount dora
- cvs pharmacy 5817, clermont
- dollar general 0116, tavares
- dollar general 0526, tavares
- dollar general 10993, mascotte
- dollar general 11142, minneola
- dollar general 1340, clermont
- dollar general 1358, eustis
- dollar general 13702, eustis
- dollar general 13776, eustis
- dollar general 1418, leesburg
- dollar general 14394, paisley
- dollar general 14399, mount dora
- dollar general 3662, fruitland park
- dollar general 3885, leesburg
- dollar general 9262, lady lake
- dollar general 9652, eustis
- dollartree 10086, clermont
- dollartree 9100, leesburg
- dollartree 9153, mount dora
- dollar general 12157, groveland
- dollar general 12486, astor
- dollar general 12987, leesburg
- dollar general 13388, mount dora
- dollar general 13426, astatula
- dollar general 14553, eustis
- dollar general 1515, umatilla
- dollar general 16005, leesburg
- dollar general 16520, leesburg
- dollar general 20608, eustis
- dollar general 20809, umatilla
- dollar general 21285, altoona
- dollar general 21775, tavares
- dollar general 21805, howey-in-the-hills
- dollar general 21931, eustis
- dollar general 23011, tavares
- dollar general 6536, leesburg
- dollar general 6670, sorrento
- dollar general 7351, tavares
- dollar tree 104, leesburg
- dollar tree 219, eustis
- dollar tree 4093, clermont
- dollar tree 4306, lady lake
- dollar tree 4331, leesburg
- dollar tree 5714, mount dora
- dollar tree 7115, clermont
- dollar tree 7275, leesburg
- dollar tree 7283, minneola
- dollar tree 7578, eustis
- dollar tree 7972, groveland
- family dollar 10012, eustis
- family dollar 11325, clermont
- family dollar 9413, mascotte
- family dollar 9414, sorrento
- family dollar store 10620, fruitland park
- family dollar store 1222, umatilla
- family dollar store 2770, leesburg
- family dollar store 3460, groveland
- family dollar store 4611, eustis
- family dollar store 7115, mount dora
- mt plymouth grocery, sorrento
- triple z family market, astor
- walgreens 05779, eustis
- walgreens 05809, eustis
- walgreens 06163, leesburg
- walgreens 06218, clermont
- walgreens 06528, clermont
- walgreens 06940, leesburg
- walgreens 07273, clermont
- walgreens 11484, minneola
- walgreens 12105, tavares
- walgreens 12317, groveland
- walgreens 16051, clermont
- walgreens 2928, mount dora
- walgreens 4648, tavares
- walgreens 6723, lady lake
- walgreens 6887, leesburg
Supermarket · 18
- aldi 74017 74017, clermont
- aldi 74118, mount dora
- aldi 74181, leesburg
- aldi 40, leesburg
- publix 0015, clermont
- publix 0027, clermont
- publix 0447, the villages
- publix 0710, leesburg
- publix 0763, clermont
- publix 0815, leesburg
- publix 0862, eustis
- publix 1168, groveland
- publix 1275, mt dora
- publix 507, eustis
- publix 684, clermont
- publix 1269, mount dora
- publix 1357, clermont
- publix 1499, sorrento
Super Store · 12
- bj's wholesale club 199, clermont
- costco wholesale 1649, clermont
- key food 4315, clermont
- key food supermarket, mount dora
- sam's club 4998, lady lakes
- target store t-1519, clermont
- target store t-2058, the villages
- target store 2062, mount dora
- walmart 705, mount dora
- walmart 800, leesburg
- walmart supercenter 2695, clermont
- walmart supercenter 5299, clermont
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- hm cattle meats & more, mascotte
- la tapatia meat market & restaurant, leesburg
- los compadres supermarket inc 1, mount dora
- rubio's real mexican food store, mascotte
- shantee's caribbean market & pooja center, clermont
- supermercado jalisco, groveland
Seafood Specialty · 4
- bubba's crab and seafood, leesburg
- chen's seafood market, leesburg
- crabs 4 you 4, clermont
- saul's retail fish market, astor
Small Grocery Store · 4
- astatula mexican market, astatula
- house of meat, leesburg
- main st hair & beauty supply, leesburg
- rubios mexican food store, inc, leesburg
Large Grocery Store · 3
- groveland discount grocery, groveland
- los compadres meat market & groceries, mascotte
- the health basket, mount dora
Showing 250 of 261 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Florida
Compare Lake County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Food access nationally, Florida in context
Lake County sits inside Florida (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 Lake County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lake County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lake County? ▼
Is Lake County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lake 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.