PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Marion County, TN

Marion 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.

10.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
14.6%
on SNAP
29K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

10.9% of Marion County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
16.3%
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).

Marion County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.9% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,084 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,448 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

Marion County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.9% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,417).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Marion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 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, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (83.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 83% Limited 0% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Marion County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Marion 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 Marion County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,237
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,084
Low-Access Share10.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,448

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Marion County
IndicatorValue
Population29,250
Median Household Income$61,824
Poverty Rate16.3%above the national average
SNAP Households1,728
SNAP Participation Rate14.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.7%
SNAP participation in Marion County 14.6%

About 14.6% of Marion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 10.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,728 households here.
  • 4.2% 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 Marion County

near the national share

1 of Marion 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 3,084 residents, roughly 10.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,448 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 Marion County

Marion County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • arya express, south pittsburg
  • battle creek market, south pittsburg
  • circle k 4703616, jasper
  • green mart, whitwell
  • hrutva corporation, south pittsburg
  • ian's market # 161 no, whitwell
  • jasper citgo, jasper
  • kanku's express #10, south pittsburg
  • lottery food mart, south pittsburg
  • lotto mart, south pittsburg
  • love's travel stop 490, jasper
  • mapco express, inc. 3543, jasper
  • neel robin inc, south pittsburg
  • pilot travel center 4599, monteagle
  • quick chek & smoke shop, jasper
  • raceway 843, jasper
  • sequatchie food market, sequatchie
  • smith brothers grocery, whitwell
  • sam's travel center, monteagle
  • sequatchie tobacco and beer, sequatchie
  • speedway 7177, jasper
  • stop n go market, whitwell

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 7763, jasper
  • cvs pharmacy 4421, monteagle
  • dollar general 18584, jasper
  • dollar general 19542, south pittsburg
  • dollar general 459, south pittsburg
  • dollar general 91, jasper
  • dollartree 9557, south pittsburg
  • dollar general 21663, whitwell
  • dollar tree 6962, monteagle
  • dollar tree 900, jasper
  • family dollar 11922, jasper
  • twice daily 8082, jasper

Supermarket · 4

  • food city 691, kimball
  • foodland 436, south pittsburg
  • houchens save-a-lot 146, whitwell
  • ingles markets 301, jasper

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • mcbride meat co, south pittsburg

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • castle's grocery inc, whitwell

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 1089, kimball

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 Marion County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Marion 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 Marion County has low food access? ▼
10.9% of residents in Marion 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 Marion County? ▼
14.6% of households in Marion County receive SNAP, covering 1,728 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Marion County? ▼
The poverty rate in Marion County, TN is 16.3%, with a median household income of $61,824 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Marion County a food desert? ▼
1 of Marion County's 6 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 Marion County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% 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.