County food-access profile · Georgia
Madison County, GA
Most of Madison County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 2.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.2%
- on SNAP
- 32K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
2.3% of Madison County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 423
- food-desert residents
- 3.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.2%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Madison County fares better than most: just 2.3% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 6 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 656 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 423 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 Madison County compares nationally
Food access in Madison County compares favorably nationally: its 2.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 6% of them (rank #2,949).
Madison County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Madison County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Madison County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Madison 2.3
Madison County, GA
2.3 % 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 | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,120 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 656 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 423 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,528 |
| Median Household Income | $61,963 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,372 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
About 12.2% of Madison County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 2.3% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,372 households here.
- 3.3% 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 Madison County
below the national share
1 of Madison County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
An estimated 656 residents, roughly 2.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 423 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Madison County
Madison County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 17
- carlton mini mart inc, carlton
- circle k 2723349, comer
- colbert food mart, colbert
- diamond hill grocery, hull
- farm town market inc, danielsville
- golden pantry food stores 1037, hull
- golden pantry food stores 1043, danielsville
- hull chevron, hull
- jp ila 265, ila
- king kwik, athens
- nathans enterprises llc, athens
- neese grocery, hull
- paoli junction, comer
- quick pantry 7, comer
- quick pick food mart, commerce
- royal food store, ila
- stop n shop, hull
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 7782, hull
- dollar general 1265, hull
- dollar general 18583, carlton
- dollar general 8144, comer
- dollar general 8208, danielsville
- dollar general 9529, colbert
- dollar general 9683, ila
- dollartree 9396, colbert
- dollar general 16894, hull
- family dollar 12262, hull
- walgreen 17732, danielsville
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- bread basket 5, colbert
- oasis asian market, comer
- sinaloa supermercado, athens
Supermarket · 2
- ingles markets 450, hull
- marketplace, danielsville
Farmers' Market · 1
- comer community market inc., comer
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Madison County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Madison 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 Madison County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Madison County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Madison County? ▼
Is Madison County a food desert? ▼
What share of Madison 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.