Signature · 27.3% SNAP (92nd pct in NC)
Lenoir County, NC
Lenoir County stands out on SNAP (27.3%, +15.2 pts vs U.S.) with 31.3% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 31.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 27.3%
- on SNAP
- 55K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lenoir County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 31.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +9.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 27.3% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 9.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Davie County (+ 0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Lenoir County sits in the upper national band (31.3%, #862 of 3,079) with 4 LILA tracts.
- #862
- national by low-access %
- #15
- in NC
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 27.3% SNAP (92nd pct in NC) (+15.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Lenoir County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lenoir County's 31.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #864 most-affected nationwide.
Lenoir County's elevated USDA tier split
15 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Lenoir County has 11 urban and 4 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.
Lenoir County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Carteret
Carteret 33.2%
33.2 % low-access
- Durham
Durham 33%
33 % low-access
- Cabarrus
Cabarrus 31.7%
31.7 % low-access
- Davie
Davie 31.5%
31.5 % low-access
- Lenoir
Lenoir 31.3%
31.3 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 59,495 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 18,617 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,920 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 54,919 |
| Median Household Income | $45,143 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.0%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,384 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 27.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.1%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in Lenoir County
Lenoir County has 73 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 35
- big zmart inc, kinston
- circle k 2723179, kinston
- circle k 2723180, kinston
- circle k 2723472, kinston
- express mini mart, kinston
- gasmode inc, kinston
- han-dee hugo's 11, kinston
- handy mart 4722, kinston
- handy mart 4766, kinston
- henderson food center, kinston
- jason food mart, la grange
- minuteman food mart 219, pink hill
- minuteman food mart 220, kinston
- minuteman food mart 35, kinston
- mitchell quick mart inc, kinston
- murphy express 8509, kinston
- neuse shop & fuel, kinston
- pops 802, kinston
- pops 805, kinston
- prime food mart, inc, kinston
- rightway shell, kinston
- royal farms 487, kinston
- save mart of lenoir inc, la grange
- south queen friendly mart inc, kinston
- speedway 8210, kinston
- speedway 8229, kinston
- speedway 8295, la grange
- speedway 8298, kinston
- stop n go express inc, la grange
- tony's friendly mart inc, kinston
- usa store, kinston
- vernon mart inc, kinston
- z & a grocery inc, kinston
- z mart #2 of kinston inc, kinston
- zuhur store inc, kinston
Combination Grocery/Other · 25
- big lots 3230, kinston
- dollar general 10935, kinston
- dollar general 14186, kinston
- dollar general 2289, kinston
- dollar general 4827, la grange
- dollar general 7649, kinston
- dollar general 8398, pink hill
- dollar general 9258, kinston
- dollar tree 0066, kinston
- dollartree 9314, kinston
- dollar general 24470, kinston
- dollar general 24851, la grange
- dollar general 30054, deep run
- dollar general store 16647, kinston
- dollar tree 7149, kinston
- family dollar 10922, deep run
- family dollar store 3280, kinston
- family dollar store 55, kinston
- family dollar store 6889, pink hill
- family dollar store 7367, kinston
- family dollar store 771, la grange
- family dollar store 783, kinston
- roses 483, kinston
- walgreen 09897, kinston
- walgreens 15511, kinston
Super Store · 6
- piggly wiggly 60, kinston
- piggly wiggly 61, kinston
- piggly wiggly 78, kinston
- piggly wiggly 66, kinston
- piggy wiggly 33, kinston
- walmart supercenter 1661, kinston
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 80094, kinston
- food lion 1687, kinston
- food lion 2571, pink hill
- food lion 2580, la grange
- food lion 61, kinston
Seafood Specialty · 1
- reynolds seafood co, kinston
Small Grocery Store · 1
- tienda edith llc 1, seven springs
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Lenoir County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Lenoir County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Lenoir County (27.3%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside North Carolina.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (31.3% here).
- Montgomery County, PA · 31.3% low-access
- Montgomery County, PA · 31.3% low-access
- Cooper County, MO · 31.3% low-access
- Cooper County, MO · 31.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (27.3% here).
- Mississippi County, MO · 27.3% SNAP
- Mississippi County, MO · 27.3% SNAP
- Buchanan County, VA · 27.3% SNAP
- Buchanan County, VA · 27.3% 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.
Lenoir County inside a higher low-access state context
Lenoir County sits inside North Carolina (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 Lenoir County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37107. 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.