County food-access profile · Georgia
Liberty County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Liberty 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).
- 31.9%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 16.0%
- on SNAP
- 67K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
31.9% of Liberty County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 4.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.3%
- 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 Liberty County's low-access share at 31.9%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,245 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 10,952 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 Liberty County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Liberty County's 31.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #820 most-affected nationwide.
Liberty County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Liberty County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Liberty County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Liberty
Liberty County, GA
31.9 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,453 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,245 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 10,952 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,397 |
| Median Household Income | $60,456 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,845 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.8% |
About 16.0% of Liberty County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 31.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,845 households here.
- 4.5% 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 Liberty County
above the national share
5 of Liberty County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 35.7% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.
An estimated 20,245 residents, roughly 31.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 10,952 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Liberty County
Liberty County has 78 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 43 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 43
- 84 quick trip, hinesville
- a to z food mart, hinesville
- bp foodmart, hinesville
- buzzy's mini-mart, riceboro
- el cheapo, hinesville
- flash foods llc 274198, hinesville
- flash foods llc 2745002, hinesville
- fleming food mart, fleming
- friendly express 46, walthourville
- gayatri maa, llc, allenhurst
- handyland exxon, hinesville
- hinesville africa market, hinesville
- hinesville station, hinesville
- jp midway 291, midway
- jay vashudev foodmart, hinesville
- jet food store 98, hinesville
- lake george get n go, midway
- lucky's food mart n/a, hinesville
- marathon food mart, riceboro
- midway station, midway
- nouria 11858 oglethorpe highway 747, midway
- nouria 151 east m.l. king jr. drive 740, hinesville
- nouria 715 east oglethorpe highway 280, hinesville
- nouria 770 south main street 760, hinesville
- nouria 791 elma g miles parkway 763, hinesville
- nouria 904 elma g miles parkway 764, hinesville
- oshea's caribbean/international grocery & more 1, hinesville
- parker's hinesville express, hinesville
- parkers 1, midway
- parkers 17, hinesville
- parkers 28, hinesville
- parkers 60, hinesville
- pit stop, hinesville
- quick pick, hinesville
- rehmat 23, hinesville
- save a ton food mart, hinesville
- shiv shakti 67 llc, midway
- speisekammer, hinesville
- spg trading inc, riceboro
- sunoco, hinesville
- vashudev foodmart, hinesville
- wawa store 6301, hinesville
- wawa store 6302, hinesville
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- cvs pharmacy 6956, hinesville
- dollar general 3006, hinesville
- dollar general 3897, midway
- dollar general 3909, hinesville
- dollar general 8673, hinesville
- dollar general 13430, walthoursville
- dollar general 16921, hinesville
- dollar general 17179, hinesville
- dollar general 20487, fleming
- dollar general 24366, riceboro
- dollar general 31600, hinesville
- dollar tree 359, hinesville
- dollar tree 7156, hinesville
- family dollar 10979, hinesville
- family dollar 7912, hinesville
- family dollar 8985, midway
- family dollar store 381, hinesville
- family dollar store 4745, hinesville
- farmers natural foods, hinesville
Super Store · 4
- kroger 487, hinesville
- walmart neighborhood market 4519, hinesville
- walmart neighborhood market 4525, hinesville
- walmart supercenter 862, hinesville
Seafood Specialty · 3
- crab house inc, hinesville
- ken's seafood market, midway
- phillips seafood, hinesville
Supermarket · 3
- food lion 2692, hinesville
- midway iga foodliner, midway
- publix super markets, inc. 2016, flemington
Farmers' Market · 1
- hinesville farmers market, hinesville
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- granny smith's farmers market, midway
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- walthourville market, hinesville
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- r and j produce, hinesville
Military Commissary · 1
- fort stewart commissary 321, fort stewart
Small Grocery Store · 1
- sariling atin oriental and african market, hinesville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Liberty County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Liberty County sits inside Georgia (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 Liberty County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Liberty County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Liberty County? ▼
Is Liberty County a food desert? ▼
What share of Liberty 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.