Signature · 3.2% low-access (7th pct)
Lancaster County, VA
Lancaster County lands in the lower national band on low-access (3.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 3.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.9%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lancaster County, VA
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 3.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -18.9 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Richmond County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Lancaster County lands in the lower national band (3.2%, #2,904 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,904
- national by low-access %
- #110
- in VA
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 243
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 3.2% low-access (7th pct) (-18.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Lancaster County compares nationally
Food access in Lancaster County compares favorably nationally: its 3.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,908).
Lancaster County's lower-band USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Lancaster County has 0 urban and 3 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.
Lancaster County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Harrisonburg … 3.9
Harrisonburg … 3.9%
3.9 % low-access
- Smyth 3.8
Smyth 3.8%
3.8 % low-access
- Emporia city 3.4
Emporia city 3.4%
3.4 % low-access
- Lancaster 3.2
Lancaster 3.2%
3.2 % low-access
- Richmond 3.2
Richmond 3.2%
3.2 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,391 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 368 |
| Low-Access Share | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 243 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,936 |
| Median Household Income | $69,713 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 566 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
SNAP retailers in Lancaster County
Lancaster County has 13 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 6 locations (46% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- cvs pharmacy 7557, kilmarnock
- dollar general 12346, lively
- dollar general 20075, white stone
- dollar tree 3843, kilmarnock
- walgreens 11381, kilmarnock
- walgreens 17279, verona
Convenience Store · 4
- 7-eleven 20464k, white stone
- chill stop 4, lancaster
- e&c enterprises inc va647 2250, kilmarnock
- ellen's country store, lancaster
Super Store · 2
- tri-star supermarket, kilmarnock
- walmart 4350, kilmarnock
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 372, kilmarnock
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Lancaster County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Counties near Lancaster County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Lancaster County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (3.2% here).
- Meigs County, TN · 3.2% low-access
- Meigs County, TN · 3.2% low-access
- Clay County, NC · 3.2% low-access
- Clay County, NC · 3.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (9.9% here).
- Kaufman County, TX · 9.9% SNAP
- Kaufman County, TX · 9.9% SNAP
- Marathon County, WI · 9.9% SNAP
- Marathon County, WI · 9.9% 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.
Lancaster County inside a lower low-access state context
Lancaster County sits inside Virginia (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 Lancaster County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51103. 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.