PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Marion County, SC

Most of Marion 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).

0.2%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
22.3%
on SNAP
29K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

0.2% of Marion County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

0
low-access tracts
38
food-desert residents
8.3%
households, no vehicle
30.0%
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, Marion County fares better than most: just 0.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 8 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 70 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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

Food access in Marion County compares favorably nationally: its 0.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 2% of them (rank #3,067).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Marion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 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).

Food access tier distribution for Marion County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (100.0%) Adequate 100% Limited 0% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Marion County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Marion County vs. other South Carolina counties

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

% 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 Marion County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,062
Low-Access Tracts0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population70
Low-Access Share0.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population38

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Marion County
IndicatorValue
Population28,664
Median Household Income$36,301
Poverty Rate30.0%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,710
SNAP Participation Rate22.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.3%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%
SNAP participation in Marion County 22.3%

About 22.3% of Marion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 0.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 22.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,710 households here.
  • 8.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $36,301 with a 30.0% poverty rate.

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

below the national share

An estimated 70 residents, roughly 0.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 38 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

None of Marion County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.

SNAP retailers in Marion County

Marion County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • 41 grocery, mullins
  • 76 express, marion
  • circle k 2723217, mullins
  • circle k 2723230, marion
  • cruizers #917, marion
  • hot spot 2021, brittons neck
  • hot spot 2028, marion
  • lotto palace, mullins
  • lotto world, mullins
  • m&m foodmart., marion
  • mullins express mart, mullins
  • mullins kwik stop, mullins
  • murphy express 8561, mullins
  • palmetto express, marion
  • quick shop, marion
  • smith grocery, mullins
  • tiger mart, marion
  • tiger mart 20, mullins
  • tiger mart 4, mullins
  • town mart, marion
  • zack's food mart, marion

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • cvs pharmacy 3855, mullins
  • cvs pharmacy 4150, marion
  • dollar general 1203, marion
  • dollar general 14236, marion
  • dollar general 14610, marion
  • dollar general 1792, mullins
  • dollar general 6831, mullins
  • dollartree 8798, mullins
  • dollar general 16191, mullins
  • dollar general 20599, nichols
  • dollar general 25854, mullins
  • dollar general store 17566, gresham
  • dollar tree 3954, mullins
  • family dollar store 138, mullins
  • family dollar store 274, marion
  • family dollar store 4658, marion
  • roses express 604, mullins

Super Store · 3

  • iga #65 154, marion
  • piggly wiggly 158, mullins
  • walmart 1829, mullins

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 1597, marion
  • iga mullins 13, mullins

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • mullins food processing, mullins

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Marion County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Marion County sits inside South Carolina (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 Marion County has low food access? ▼
0.2% of residents in Marion County, SC 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 Marion County? ▼
22.3% of households in Marion County receive SNAP, covering 2,710 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Marion County? ▼
The poverty rate in Marion County, SC is 30.0%, with a median household income of $36,301 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Marion County a food desert? ▼
0 of Marion County's 8 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Marion County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.3% of households in Marion 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.