PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Manassas city, VA

Manassas city'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.

11.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.3%
on SNAP
43K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

11.2% of Manassas city residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
686
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
7.7%
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).

Manassas city's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,224 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 686 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 Manassas city compares nationally

Manassas city lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.2% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,400).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Manassas city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Manassas city, 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 Manassas city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (57.1%) 2 tracts limited (28.6%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 57% Limited 29% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Manassas city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Manassas city vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Manassas city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,821
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population4,224
Low-Access Share11.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population686

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Manassas city
IndicatorValue
Population42,976
Median Household Income$113,590
Poverty Rate7.7%well below the national average
SNAP Households899
SNAP Participation Rate6.3%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.2%
SNAP participation in Manassas city 6.3%

About 6.3% of Manassas city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 11.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 899 households here.
  • 4.4% 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 Manassas city

near the national share

1 of Manassas city's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% 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 4,224 residents, roughly 11.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 686 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Manassas city

Manassas city has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 16

  • 7 eleven inc f 29280a, manassas
  • 7-eleven inc f 22095b, manassas
  • 7-eleven inc f 26074a, manassas
  • 7-eleven inc f 27451a, manassas
  • 7-eleven inc f 32976b, manassas
  • 7-eleven inc f 34643a, manassas
  • 7-eleven #40049a 40049a, manassas
  • 7-eleven 21336b 21336b, manassas
  • 7-eleven 22299b 22299b, manassas
  • 7-eleven 37555a, manassas
  • in & out, manassas
  • mikes quick mart, manassas
  • rogers service center, manassas
  • super market, manassas
  • wawa 8644, manassas
  • wawa store 8686, manassas

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • cvs pharmacy 1801, manassas
  • cvs pharmacy 1406, manassas
  • centroamericana grocery, manassas
  • dollartree 9130, manassas
  • dollar tree 603, manassas
  • family dollar 8767, manassas
  • inter market llc, manassas
  • walgreens 11912, manassas
  • walgreens 13989, manassas

Super Store · 6

  • fresh world manassas inc., manassas
  • giant food 227, manassas
  • h mart manassas, llc, manassas
  • harris teeter 303, manassas
  • lidl 1243, manassas
  • walmart supercenter 3573, manassas

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • khyber bazar, manassas
  • tortilleria sol de dia, manassas
  • zam zam groceries and halal meat, manassas

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 70002 70002, manassas
  • fiesta supermarket, manassas
  • food lion 1383, manassas

Farmers' Market · 1

  • historic manassas inc farmers market, manassas

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • sabejo international market, llc, manassas

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Manassas city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Manassas city sits inside Virginia (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 Manassas city has low food access? ▼
11.2% of residents in Manassas city, VA 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 Manassas city? ▼
6.3% of households in Manassas city receive SNAP, covering 899 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Manassas city? ▼
The poverty rate in Manassas city, VA is 7.7%, with a median household income of $113,590 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Manassas city a food desert? ▼
1 of Manassas city's 7 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 Manassas city households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Manassas city 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.