County food-access profile · Florida
Marion County, FL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Marion 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).
- 32.7%
- low-access pop.
- 12
- food-desert tracts
- 13.2%
- on SNAP
- 400K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.7% of Marion County residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 61 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 29
- low-access tracts
- 39K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.4%
- 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 Marion County's low-access share at 32.7%, above the national share. 29 of the county's 61 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 108,384 people. 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 39,345 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 Marion County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Marion County's 32.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 76% of them and ranked #764 most-affected nationwide.
Marion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 61 census tracts in Marion County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Marion County vs. other Florida counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Florida
- Marion
Marion County, FL
32.7 % low-access
- Alachua 19.2
Alachua County, FL
19.2 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, FL
55.6 % low-access
- Bay
Bay County, FL
31.5 % low-access
- Bradford 1.1
Bradford County, FL
1.1 % low-access
- Brevard
Brevard County, FL
41.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 61 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 331,298 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 29 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 12 |
| Low-Access Population | 108,384 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 39,345 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 400,078 |
| Median Household Income | $61,010 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 21,760 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 13.2% of Marion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 21,760 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 12 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 Marion County
above the national share
12 of Marion County's 61 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.7% of all its tracts.
A further 17 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 29.
An estimated 108,384 residents, roughly 32.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 39,345 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 32 tracts (52.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marion County
Marion County has 336 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 141 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 141
- 101 quik king food store, ocala
- 14 chevron, ocala
- 17th street food mart, ocala
- 7 days, ocala
- 7 days food store, ocala
- 7-eleven 41795h, ocala
- 7-eleven 41796, ocala
- 7-eleven 41799h, ocala
- 7-eleven 41806h, ocala
- 7-eleven 41828, ocala
- 7-eleven 41941h, ocala
- 7-eleven 42379h, ocala
- 7days food store, ocala
- a & l discount beverage, ocala
- a&m discount beverage #81, ocala
- airport shell, ocala
- anthony food mart, anthony
- anthony food mart, anthony
- b kwik, dunnellon
- bp, ocala
- baseline bp, ocala
- baseline food mart, ocala
- belleview food store, belleview
- best food mart, ocala
- big apple, ocala
- biya g8 llc, ocala
- bp one store, ocala
- buck n does, umatilla
- circle k 2705048, silver springs
- circle k 2726524, ocala
- circle k 2721010, belleview
- circle k 2721238, fort mc coy
- circle k 2721242, orange lake
- circle k 2721251, ocala
- circle k 2721259, citra
- circle k 2721421, ocala
- circle k 2721422, ocala
- circle k 2721423, ocala
- circle k 2722051, ocala
- circle k 2722105, weirsdale
- circle k 2722120, summerfield
- circle k 2722122, ocala
- circle k 2722123, ocala
- circle k 2722321, sparr
- circle k 2722322, silver springs
- circle k 2722326, reddick
- circle k 2722328, ocala
- circle k 2722405, ocala
- circle k 2722901, belleview
- circle k 2722902, ocala
- circle k 2722908, ocala
- circle k 2723916, ocala
- circle k 2726070, silver springs
- circle k 2726177, dunnellon
- circle k 6619, ocala
- circle k 7692, ocala
- circle k 9827, ocala
- citra food and deli, citra
- darrens discount store of ocala, ocala
- diamond oil 102, ocala
- diamond oil 103, ocala
- diamond oil 106, ocala
- diamond oil 109, ocala
- eureka qwik king food store llc, fort mc coy
- fast lane food mart, ocala
- flowers bakery outlet 50000062, ocala
- flying orange llc, dunnellon
- forest food and fuel, silver springs
- freeway 51, ocala
- gator stop & shop, ocala
- gators shell, ocala
- grab and go, belleview
- happy dave's of summerfield, llc, summerfield
- hiway express, ocala
- interstate mobil, ocala
- joyce corner store, ocala
- kwik stop, ocala
- lake weir marathon, ocala
- lake weir mart, ocklawaha
- little orange groceries, summerfield
- login cabin store, ocala
- love's travel stop 363, ocala
- lynn qwik king food store, silver springs
- meadors qwik king food store, ocklawaha
- medical food mart, ocala
- metro food mart, ocala
- mohar energy llc, ocala
- monroe corner shell 168, ocala
- murphy express 8576, ocala
- murphy express 8877, ocala
- murphy usa 5819, summerfield
- murphy usa 6820, dunnellon
- murphy usa 7737, ocala
- murphy usa 7953, ocala
- oak road qwik king, ocala
- ocala food mart 1, ocala
- ocala marathon inc. 347, ocala
- ocala merchandise liquidators, ocala
- orange lake citgo, reddick
- orange springs food mart, orange springs
- pilot travel center 293, ocala
- plaza food store, belleview
- parretts country store, ocala
- pedro grocery store, summerfield
- petro ocala 323, reddick
- pilot travel center 424, ocala
- pilot travel center 92, ocala
- pioneer country store n / a, citra
- quick king, ocala
- quick king food store # 2, ocala
- quick king food store #18, belleview
- quick king food store 1, citra
- quick king food store 11, ocala
- quick king food store 16, ocala
- quick king food store 5, belleview
- quick king food store 8, summerfield
- quickking 7, ocala
- qwik king, summerfield
- qwik king food stores sales, ocala
- race trac 142, belleview
- racetrac 2314, ocala
- racetrac 2349, ocala
- racetrac 2509, ocala
- racetrac 2516, ocala
- racetrac 2518, ocala
- racetrac 2533, ocala
- racetrac 2667, summerfield
- racetrac petroleum, inc. 2461, ocala
- rainbow springs express, dunnellon
- ray qwik king food store, ocklawaha
- royal food mart, ocala
- s & h food sore, ocala
- salt springs corner store, fort mc coy
- silver springs sunoco, silver springs
- south pine marathon, ocala
- speedway 1593, ocala
- springs marathon, ocala
- stop n go, ocala
- summerfield bp, summerfield
- sunny food mart, ocala
- sunrise food mart 1, ocala
Combination Grocery/Other · 109
- cvs pharmacy 1813, ocala
- cvs pharmacy 3215, belleview
- cvs pharmacy 3278, ocala
- cvs pharmacy 3395, silver springs
- cvs pharmacy 3539, dunnellon
- cvs pharmacy 3661, ocala
- cvs pharmacy 4146, ocala
- cvs pharmacy 5226, summerfield
- cvs pharmacy 5231, ocala
- cvs pharmacy 5921, ocala
- cvs pharmacy 8382, oscala
- clarkson produce enterprise, ocala
- dollar general 10389, summerfield
- dollar general 10415, fort mccoy
- dollar general 1326, belleview
- dollar general 1354, dunnellon
- dollar general 14071, salt springs
- dollar general 14103, ocala
- dollar general 18784, umatilla
- dollar general 18997, orange sprikngs
- dollar general 3126, ocala
- dollar general 6495, silver springs
- dollar general 7121, ocala
- dollar general 7352, ocala
- dollar general 7891, ocala
- dollar general 7973, ocala
- dollar general 8255, citra
- dollar general 9259, ocala
- dollar general 9268, dunnellon
- dollar general 9319, ocala
- dollartree 8981, silver springs
- dollartree 9230, ocala
- dollar general 10070, ocala
- dollar general 11411, anthony
- dollar general 11463, weirsdale
- dollar general 11490, ocala
- dollar general 11504, ocala
- dollar general 11551, mcintosh
- dollar general 11649, ocklawaha
- dollar general 12847, reddick
- dollar general 12865, summerfield
- dollar general 13082, belleview
- dollar general 13253, belleview
- dollar general 13613, ocala
- dollar general 14368, ocala
- dollar general 15544, ocala
- dollar general 15605, ocklawaha
- dollar general 15963, ocala
- dollar general 16292, ocala
- dollar general 18330, silver springs
- dollar general 19657, ocala
- dollar general 20439, belleview
- dollar general 20443, ocala
- dollar general 21486, belleview
- dollar general 21782, ocala
- dollar general 21814, ocala
- dollar general 22592, ocala
- dollar general 22968, reddick
- dollar general 23766, ocala
- dollar general 24102, ocala
- dollar general 25248, fort mccoy
- dollar general 25436, ocala
- dollar general 25750, citra
- dollar general store 17191, anthony
- dollar general store 18017, ocala
- dollar tree 125, ocala
- dollar tree 1715, ocala
- dollar tree 1789, summerfield
- dollar tree 2569, dunnellon
- dollar tree 2714, belleview
- dollar tree 3778, ocala
- dollar tree 3980, ocala
- dollar tree 4647, ocala
- dollar tree 7768, ocala
- dollar tree 8768, ocala
- earth origins market 13, ocala
- family dollar 10033, ocala
- family dollar 10278, citra
- family dollar 10383, belleview
- family dollar 11210, anthony
- family dollar 11345, summerfield
- family dollar 12590, ocala
- family dollar 13681, reddick
- family dollar 8202, ocala
- family dollar store 10279, ocala
- family dollar store 1131, silver springs
- family dollar store 1144, belleview
- family dollar store 2427, ocala
- family dollar store 6178, ocala
- family dollar store 7074, ocala
- family dollar store 766, ocala
- family dollar store 8048, ocala
- family dollar store 8413, ocala
- family dollar store 8430, ocala
- family dollar store 8593, ocala
- walgreen 01724, ocala
- walgreen 07207, ocala
- walgreen 07589, ocala
- walgreens 02224, ocala
- walgreens 07468, lady lake
- walgreens 10671, ocala
- walgreens 11486, ocala
- walgreens 11991, ocala
- walgreens 13585, ocala
- walgreens 16546, ocala
- walgreens 3389, ocala
- walgreens 3391, ocala
- walgreens 4426, belleview
- walgreens 5578, dunnellon
Showing 250 of 336 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Florida
Compare Marion County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Food access nationally, Florida in context
Marion County sits inside Florida (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 Marion County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Marion County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Marion County? ▼
Is Marion County a food desert? ▼
What share of Marion 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.