County food-access profile · Florida
Lee County, FL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lee 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).
- 37.0%
- low-access pop.
- 26
- food-desert tracts
- 8.3%
- on SNAP
- 818K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
37.0% of Lee County residents live in a low-access area, and 26 of its 165 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 97
- low-access tracts
- 74K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.0%
- 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 Lee County's low-access share at 37.0%, above the national share. 97 of the county's 165 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 229,126 people. 26 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 74,222 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 Lee County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lee County's 37.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 83% of them and ranked #517 most-affected nationwide.
Lee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 165 census tracts in Lee County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lee County vs. other Florida counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Florida
- Lee
Lee County, FL
37 % 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 | 165 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 618,754 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 97 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 26 |
| Low-Access Population | 229,126 |
| Low-Access Share | 37.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 74,222 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 817,666 |
| Median Household Income | $76,107 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 27,154 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 8.3% of Lee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 37.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 27,154 households here.
- 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 26 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 Lee County
above the national share
26 of Lee County's 165 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.8% of all its tracts.
A further 71 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 97.
An estimated 229,126 residents, roughly 37.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 74,222 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 68 tracts (41.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lee County
Lee County has 529 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 134 locations (25% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 134
- cvs pharmacy 0453, north fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 196, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 2982, ft myers
- cvs pharmacy 5236, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 1067, cape coral
- cvs pharmacy 1807, lehigh acres
- cvs pharmacy 3274, saint james city
- cvs pharmacy 3277, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 3281, estero
- cvs pharmacy 3296, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 3349, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 3433, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 3485, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 3552, bonita springs
- cvs pharmacy 3611, fort myers beach
- cvs pharmacy 3616, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 3622, north fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 3941, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 4224, cape coral
- cvs pharmacy 4608, bonita springs
- cvs pharmacy 5116, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 5185, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 5785, cape coral
- cvs pharmacy 5787, bonita springs
- cvs pharmacy 7890, fort myers
- cvs pharmacy 7902, cape coral
- cvs pharmacy 7983, fort myers
- dollar general 1334, cape coral
- dollar general 13899, fort myers
- dollar general 13927, bonita springs
- dollar general 14113, cape coral
- dollar general 1419, lehigh acres
- dollar general 14224, north fort myers
- dollar general 18923, cape coral
- dollar general 2496, fort myers
- dollar general 5723, north fort myers
- dollar general 6715, bonita springs
- dollar general 7744, north fort myers
- dollar general 9703, fort myers
- dollar tree 0244, fort myers
- dollar tree 6673, fort myers
- dollarstop 5239, fort myers
- dollartree 10084, bonita springs
- dollartree 8684, fort myers
- dollartree 8937, bonita springs
- dollar general 11820, lehigh acres
- dollar general 12137, fort myers
- dollar general 12316, cape coral
- dollar general 12374, saint james city
- dollar general 12574, fort myers
- dollar general 12871, lehigh acres
- dollar general 12988, cape coral
- dollar general 13391, fort myers
- dollar general 14441, cape coral
- dollar general 1451, n fort myers
- dollar general 14611, fort myers
- dollar general 14754, lehigh acres
- dollar general 15327, lehigh acres
- dollar general 16762, punta gorda
- dollar general 17239, north fort myers
- dollar general 17734, fort myers
- dollar general 20695, lehigh acres
- dollar general 21318, cape coral
- dollar general 21672, cape coral
- dollar general 23109, fort myers
- dollar general 25408, fort myers
- dollar general 25979, fort myers
- dollar general 6455, cape coral
- dollar general store 17095, alva
- dollar tree 1367, cape coral
- dollar tree 3711, fort myers
- dollar tree 3975, fort myers
- dollar tree 4078, fort myers
- dollar tree 4327, fort myers
- dollar tree 4387, cape coral
- dollar tree 4425, fort myers
- dollar tree 4917, cape coral
- dollar tree 5823, lehigh acres
- dollar tree 6037, fort myers
- dollar tree 6174, cape coral
- dollar tree 6344, estero
- dollar tree 6506, bonita springs
- dollar tree 6510, cape coral
- dollar tree 6545, cape coral
- dollar tree 6598, north fort myers
- dollar tree 7023, fort myers
- dollar tree 7469, lehigh acres
- dollar tree 787, bonita springs
- dollartree 6874, fort myers
- family dollar 11444, lehigh acres
- family dollar 11496, lehigh acres
- family dollar 11556, lehigh acres
- family dollar 11657, fort myers
- family dollar 2838, lehigh acres
- family dollar 8264, ft myers
- family dollar 8562, lehigh acres
- family dollar 8637, lehigh acres
- family dollar 8975, cape coral
- family dollar 9190, fort myers
- family dollar 9246, fort myers
- family dollar 9395, fort myers
- family dollar store 2136, fort myers
- family dollar store 2356, fort myers
- family dollar store 2992, fort myers
- family dollar store 9242, cape coral
- walgreens 02941, fort myers
- walgreens 3356, fort myers
- walgreens 4004, fort myers
- walgreens 4165, bonita springs
- walgreens 6071, lehigh acres
- walgreens 03099, fort myers
- walgreens 03628, fort myers
- walgreens 06473, fort myers
- walgreens 10179, north fort myers
- walgreens 10670, north fort myers
- walgreens 10829, cape coral
- walgreens 10964, fort myers
- walgreens 11535, fort myers
- walgreens 12722, fort myers
- walgreens 15136, cape coral
- walgreens 3355, cape coral
- walgreens 3753, cape coral
- walgreens 4645, cape coral
- walgreens 5856, cape coral
- walgreens 6499, bonita springs
- walgreens 6913, fort myers
- walgreens 7028, cape coral
- walgreens 7029, cape coral
- walgreens 7085, fort myers
- walgreens 7465, north fort myers
- walgreens 7851, bonita springs
- walgreens 9219, fort myers beach
- walgreens 9298, estero
- walgreens 9627, fort myers
Convenience Store · 116
- 3c market, cape coral
- 7 eleven 34151c, bonita springs
- 7 eleven 41608a, fort myers
- 7 eleven store 24141c, fort myers beach
- 7 eleven store 32296c, north fort myers
- 7 eleven store 33087c, fort myers
- 7 eleven store 34730b, bonita springs
- 7 eleven store 40337b, lehigh acres
- 7 eleven store 42344a, cape coral
- 7- eleven 32312b, fort myers
- 7- eleven 33239 b, fort myers
- 7- eleven store 37088a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 32209a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 32366a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 24542a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 32247b, fort myers
- 7-eleven 32597a, bonita springs
- 7-eleven 32781b, fort myers
- 7-eleven 33193a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 34154a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 34160a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 34823a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 34866, fort myers
- 7-eleven 34890j, bonita springs
- 7-eleven 34892a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 36660h, fort myers
- 7-eleven 38049a, lehigh acres
- 7-eleven 38335a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 38367j, fort myers
- 7-eleven 38835h, fort myers
- 7-eleven store #26053c 26053c, lehigh acres
- 7-eleven store 34484b, cape coral
- 7-eleven store 39693a, fort myers
- 7-eleven #38047a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 26567a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 26870b, fort myers
- 7-eleven 32179a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 32291b, lehigh acres
- 7-eleven 32343b, estero
- 7-eleven 32599b, fort myers
- 7-eleven 32620c, cape coral
- 7-eleven 33111b, cape coral
- 7-eleven 34153a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 34155a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 34483a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 34588a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 34589a, lehigh acres
- 7-eleven 34731a, estero
- 7-eleven 34806a, bonita springs
- 7-eleven 34894b, estero
- 7-eleven 35367a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 35368a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 35537a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 36444b, cape coral
- 7-eleven 36684b, fort myers
- 7-eleven 37006a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 37172a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 37289a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 37330a, north fort myers
- 7-eleven 37566a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 37936a, lehigh acres
- 7-eleven 38105a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 38116a, lehigh acres
- 7-eleven 38237a, lehigh acres
- 7-eleven 38260a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 38285a, north fort myers
- 7-eleven 38303a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 38334a, cape coral
- 7-eleven 38366a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 38435a, bokeelia
- 7-eleven 39578a, fort myers
- 7-eleven 40327a, bonita springs
- 7-eleven store #32191b, fort myers
- 7-eleven store #34826b 34826b, cape coral
- 7-eleven store #34893b 34893b, fort myers
- 7-eleven store #37148b 37148b, north fort myers
- 7-eleven store 17305b, sanibel
- 7-eleven store 32188b, fort myers beach
- a&t food mart, fort myers
- al jamhour market, north fort myers
- alicos & 1 associates inc. 33973, fort myers
- andy's mini market & grocery, fort myers
- big b food store, fort myers
- circle k 2701719, cape coral
- circle k 2701735, cape coral
- circle k 2701821, fort myers beach
- circle k 2704321, saint james city
- circle k 2704632, cape coral
- circle k 2704645, cape coral
- circle k 2704902, lehigh acres
- circle k 2707333, fort myers
- circle k 2707377, n ft myers
- circle k 2707381, fort myers
- circle k 2707429, cape coral
- circle k 2707462, bonita springs
- circle k 2707500, fort myers
- circle k 2707574, cape coral
- circle k 2707611, fort myers
- circle k 2707614, fort myers
- circle k 2707617, north fort myers
- circle k 2707620, fort myers
- circle k 2707685, north fort myers
- circle k 2707693, cape coral
- circle k 2708805, cape coral
- circle k 2708814, fort myers
- circle k 2709764, fort myers
- circle k 2709767, bonita springs
- circle k 2709769, fort myers
- circle k 2709772, fort myers
- circle k 2709773, fort myers
- cape coral bp, cape coral
- cape coral marathon, cape coral
- cape food mart, cape coral
- chevron 395, fort myers
- chevron express, bonita springs
- chevron food mart, fort myers beach
Showing 250 of 529 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Florida
Compare Lee County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Food access nationally, Florida in context
Lee 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 Lee County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lee County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lee County? ▼
Is Lee County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lee 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.