PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Loudon County, TN

Loudon 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.

14.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.4%
on SNAP
59K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

14.2% of Loudon County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
3.8%
households, no vehicle
12.6%
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).

Loudon County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,900 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,454 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 Loudon County compares nationally

Loudon County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.2% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,184).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Loudon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Loudon 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 Loudon County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (70.0%) 2 tracts limited (20.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (10.0%) Adequate 70% Limited 20% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Loudon County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Loudon County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Loudon County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)48,556
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,900
Low-Access Share14.2%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,454

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Loudon County
IndicatorValue
Population58,580
Median Household Income$84,185
Poverty Rate12.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,547
SNAP Participation Rate6.4%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.7%
SNAP participation in Loudon County 6.4%

About 6.4% of Loudon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 14.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,547 households here.
  • 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Loudon County

near the national share

1 of Loudon County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,900 residents, roughly 14.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,454 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Loudon County

Loudon County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 29

  • 72 market n/a, loudon
  • 95 mart, lenoir city
  • blue springs market & deli, sweetwater
  • casey's 4220, lenoir city
  • discount tobacco and beverages, lenoir city
  • ez stop food mart 23, lenoir city
  • ez stop food mart 7, lenoir city
  • ez stop food mart 9, lenoir city
  • guruji llc, loudon
  • ians market #115, greenback
  • kwik pantry 300, loudon
  • kenjo 27, lenoir city
  • kenjo 18, lenoir city
  • kenjo 19, lenoir city
  • love's travel shop 480, lenoir city
  • love's travel stop 861, loudon
  • luckeys lotto and beer, lenoir city
  • one stop, philadelphia
  • phila market, philadelphia
  • quick market #2, loudon
  • quick market #3, lenoir city
  • quick mart, lenoir city
  • red top market #2, lenoir city
  • rocky top market 931, loudon
  • the local market 132, loudon
  • thumbs up gas & market, loudon
  • weigel's 1066, lenoir city
  • weigel's 42, lenoir city
  • weigel's 62, loudon

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs pharmacy 5601, lenoir city
  • dollar general 1587, loudon
  • dollar general 296, lenoir city
  • dollar general 11517, greenback
  • dollar general 15104, loudon
  • dollar general 15630, philadelphia
  • dollar general 22274, lenoir city
  • dollar general 24443, loudon
  • dollar general 30300, lenoir city
  • dollar tree 1042, lenoir city
  • dollar tree 5077, loudon
  • walgreen 05502, lenoir city
  • walgreens 19231, loudon

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 70007, lenoir city
  • food city 632, loudon
  • food city 650, lenoir city
  • food lion 2128, loudon
  • ingles markets 71, lenoir city

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la lupita llc 1, lenoir city
  • la lupita llc 3, loudon

Super Store · 2

  • dollar general market 12007, lenoir city
  • walmart 741, lenoir city

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • bargain barn 7, lenoir city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Loudon County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Loudon County sits inside Tennessee (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 Loudon County has low food access? ▼
14.2% of residents in Loudon County, TN 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 Loudon County? ▼
6.4% of households in Loudon County receive SNAP, covering 1,547 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Loudon County? ▼
The poverty rate in Loudon County, TN is 12.6%, with a median household income of $84,185 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Loudon County a food desert? ▼
1 of Loudon County's 10 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 Loudon County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.8% of households in Loudon 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.