County food-access profile · South Carolina
Laurens County, SC
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.
- 15.7%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 17.5%
- on SNAP
- 69K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.7% of Laurens County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.1%
- 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 15.7% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 17 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,476 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,485 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 15.7% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,063).
Laurens County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 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).
Laurens County vs. other South Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Carolina
- Laurens
Laurens County, SC
15.7 % low-access
- Abbeville
Abbeville County, SC
20.4 % low-access
- Aiken
Aiken County, SC
29.1 % low-access
- Allendale 2.3
Allendale County, SC
2.3 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, SC
36.1 % low-access
- Bamberg
Bamberg County, SC
27.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 66,537 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,476 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,485 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 68,666 |
| Median Household Income | $57,623 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,730 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.3% |
About 17.5% of Laurens County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,730 households here.
- 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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
3 of Laurens County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 17.6% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 10,476 residents, roughly 15.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,485 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 13 tracts (76.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Laurens County
Laurens County has 80 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 44 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 44
- 7-eleven store 41219h, laurens
- brothers fast stop, laurens
- buck's quick stop, cross hill
- corner mart, clinton
- corner mart 17328, clinton
- corner mart 17349, clinton
- corner stop, laurens
- corner stop 55, clinton
- corner stop 57, laurens
- el cheapo, clinton
- exxon sc 3 3, gray court
- fill ups, gray court
- flash market #354, laurens
- flash market #355, laurens
- ganesh food mart, clinton
- gray court partyshop, gray court
- hot spot 2019, laurens
- hwy 14 qucik stop, gray court
- j mart, joanna
- lakeside general store, cross hill
- laurens handee mart, laurens
- li'l cricket 3821, laurens
- marathon, clinton
- marts to go 6, gray court
- mini mart, laurens
- murphy usa 7477, laurens
- navya food mart, laurens
- palmetto marina, waterloo
- pilot travel center 61, clinton
- quick point laurens, laurens
- quiktrip 1178, clinton
- royal food store, joanna
- royal food store, clinton
- s&d1 llc, laurens
- sams country market, laurens
- sandlappper express - citgo 504, clinton
- sav-way #207, fountain inn
- shell food mart, clinton
- stop n go, gray court
- super mart, laurens
- t & d curb market, joanna
- templeton road 2043, laurens
- the home store, clinton
- zees food store, clinton
Combination Grocery/Other · 28
- cvs pharmacy 3557, clinton
- dollar general 11041, waterloo
- dollar general 18732, laurens
- dollar general 2964, laurens
- dollar general 4614, laurens
- dollar general 5835, gray court
- dollar general 6672, gray court
- dollar general 7771, clinton
- dollartree plus 8964, laurens
- dollar general 10142, laurens
- dollar general 11557, clinton
- dollar general 12568, joanna
- dollar general 15117, clinton
- dollar general 15415, cross hill
- dollar general 20057, laurens
- dollar general 30288, gray court
- dollar general 30368, gray court
- dollar tree 7025, clinton
- dollar tree 818, laurens
- family dollar 12787, waterloo
- family dollar 12831, gray court
- family dollar 13239, gray court
- family dollar 47, laurens
- family dollar store 10472, laurens
- family dollar store 234, clinton
- master's fresh produce llc 1, clinton
- rose's express 653, laurens
- walgreens 12568, laurens
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 76090, laurens
- food lion 2870, laurens
- ingles markets 44, laurens
- ingles markets 68, clinton
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- big d butcher, clinton
- kountry fresh meats, clinton
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- guatemex 2, laurens
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 1130, laurens
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in South Carolina
Compare Laurens County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, South Carolina in context
Laurens County sits inside South Carolina (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 Laurens County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Laurens County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Laurens County? ▼
Is Laurens County a food desert? ▼
What share of Laurens 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.