PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Laurens County, GA

Laurens County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

19.4%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
20.5%
on SNAP
50K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

19.4% of Laurens County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
6.3%
households, no vehicle
22.6%
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).

Laurens County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.4% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 9,410 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,704 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 Laurens County compares nationally

Laurens County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.4% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,737).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Laurens County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Laurens 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 Laurens County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (53.8%) 1 tracts limited (7.7%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (38.5%) Adequate 54% Limited 8% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Laurens County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Laurens County vs. other Georgia counties

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

% 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 Laurens County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)48,434
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population9,410
Low-Access Share19.4%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,704

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Laurens County
IndicatorValue
Population49,798
Median Household Income$55,010
Poverty Rate22.6%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,814
SNAP Participation Rate20.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Laurens County 20.5%

About 20.5% of Laurens County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,814 households here.
  • 6.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Laurens County

near the national share

5 of Laurens County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 38.5% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 9,410 residents, roughly 19.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,704 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (53.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Laurens County

Laurens County has 87 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 51 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 51

  • amba food mart, east dublin
  • austin's welding and more, cadwell
  • b & h quick stop, east dublin
  • bobbys food mart n/a, dublin
  • by the park convenience store, llc n/a, dublin
  • cash & carry food mart, dublin
  • circle k 298, dublin
  • discount tobacco and gas, dublin
  • dublin food mart, east dublin
  • express food mart, dublin
  • express mart, rentz
  • flash foods llc 274174, dublin
  • flash foods llc 274185, dublin
  • flowers bakery outlet 1145, dublin
  • food mart, east dublin
  • friendly gus 10, dublin
  • friendly gus 12, dublin
  • friendly gus 18, dublin
  • friendly gus 19, east dublin
  • friendly gus 23, dublin
  • friendly gus 24, dublin
  • friendly gus 25, dudley
  • friendly gus 26, dexter
  • friendly gus 29, dublin
  • friendly gus 30, dublin
  • friendly gus 4, dublin
  • friendly gus 6, east dublin
  • friendly gus 7, dublin
  • jackson food mart, dublin
  • jet food store 25, dublin
  • jet food store 48, dublin
  • jet food store 52, east dublin
  • jet food store 53, east dublin
  • love' travel stops & country stores, inc 320, dublin
  • lucky lotto mart, dublin
  • minter general store, east dublin
  • murphy usa 7468, dublin
  • neighbor's corner, dublin
  • neighbors express 30, dublin
  • neighbors food, dublin
  • nouria 2307 us highway 80 205, dublin
  • pilot travel center 68, dublin
  • quick fill, dublin
  • quick stop, dublin
  • quick stop 0, east dublin
  • quiktrip 7075, dublin
  • racetrac 2594, dublin
  • shamrock stop, dublin
  • super foods, dublin
  • super stop, dublin
  • z mart, dublin

Combination Grocery/Other · 24

  • cochran bros cash & carry, dublin
  • cvs pharmacy 5353, dublin
  • dollar general 2099, dublin
  • dollar general 3345, dublin
  • dollar general 4655, east dublin
  • dollar general 9533, dexter
  • dollar tree 469, dublin
  • dollartree 10120, dublin
  • dollar general 10494, rentz
  • dollar general 12569, dublin
  • dollar general 15398, dublin
  • dollar general 21690, east dublin
  • dollar general 21717, dublin
  • dollar general 21817, dudley
  • dollar general 23655, dublin
  • dollar general 30500, dublin
  • dollar general 31002, east dublin
  • dollar tree 6602, east dublin
  • family dollar 12539, dublin
  • family dollar store 289, dublin
  • family dollar store 7342, dublin
  • jts farm market, east dublin
  • roses 566, dublin
  • walgreens 19407, dublin

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 76153, dublin
  • brunson & triplett enterprise, rentz
  • food depot 50, dublin
  • food world 782, east dublin

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • a b lee's meat market, dublin
  • dexter meat company, llc, dexter
  • dublin meat market, dublin

Super Store · 3

  • dublin piggly wiggly 186, dublin
  • kroger 674, dublin
  • walmart store 555, dublin

Farmers' Market · 1

  • market on madison, dublin

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • captain joe's, dublin

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Georgia

Appling County
47.8% low-access · 19.6% SNAP
Atkinson County
23.5% low-access · 26.2% SNAP
Bacon County
3.3% low-access · 20.9% SNAP
Baker County
61.3% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
24.6% low-access · 16.2% SNAP
Banks County
1.8% low-access · 9.0% SNAP

Compare Laurens County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Laurens County sits inside Georgia (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 Laurens County has low food access? ▼
19.4% of residents in Laurens County, GA 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 Laurens County? ▼
20.5% of households in Laurens County receive SNAP, covering 3,814 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Laurens County? ▼
The poverty rate in Laurens County, GA is 22.6%, with a median household income of $55,010 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Laurens County a food desert? ▼
5 of Laurens County's 13 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 Laurens County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.3% of households in Laurens 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.