County food-access profile · West Virginia
Marion County, WV
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.
- 17.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 15.5%
- on SNAP
- 56K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.2% of Marion County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 7.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.6%
- 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 17.2% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 18 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 9,731 residents who live far from a supermarket. 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
Marion County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.2% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,933).
Marion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 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 West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Marion
Marion County, WV
17.2 % low-access
- Barbour 11.4
Barbour County, WV
11.4 % low-access
- Berkeley
Berkeley County, WV
38.8 % low-access
- Boone 6.6
Boone County, WV
6.6 % low-access
- Braxton
Braxton County, WV
18.3 % low-access
- Brooke
Brooke County, WV
16.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 56,418 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,731 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,894 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 55,909 |
| Median Household Income | $67,370 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,624 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
About 15.5% of Marion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,624 households here.
- 7.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $67,370 with a 13.6% 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
near the national share
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 9,731 residents, roughly 17.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,894 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marion County
Marion County has 68 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 37 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 37
- 4704006.0 4006, worthington
- 4704008.0 4008, fairview
- 4704010.0 4010, fairmont
- 4704011.0 4011, fairmont
- 7-eleven 34943, rivesville
- 7-eleven 35944, mannington
- bfs foods 16, fairmont
- bfs foods 24, rivesville
- bfs foods 39, fairmont
- black bear express mannington, mannington
- carolina market, worthington
- duke food mart fairmont, fairmont
- economart, fairmont
- fairmont n & out, fairmont
- fairmont n & out #2, fairmont
- fairmont n & out 3, fairmont
- go mart 69, fairmont
- go mart 82, fairmont
- jalaram krupa group llc, fairmont
- kt truckstop 500, fairmont
- little general 5340, fairmont
- little general 7505, barrackville
- little general 7525, fairmont
- little general 7530, farmington
- little general 7535, fairmont
- little general store 7740, fairmont
- mountaineer mart - fairmont 132, fairmont
- one stop 8536, fairmont
- par mar store 22, fairmont
- par mar store 23, fairmont
- par mar store 24, fairmont
- par mar store 35, fairmont
- par mar store 61, fairmont
- par mar store 95, fairmont
- sheetz 626, fairmont
- shrihari properties llc, fairmont
- whitecotton inc, worthington
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- cvs 5955, mannington
- cvs pharmacy 3475, fairmont
- cvs pharmacy 4021, fairmont
- dollartree 10651, fairmont
- dollar general 0900, white hall
- dollar general 11254, fairmont
- dollar general 13286, worthington
- dollar general 17977, barrackville
- dollar general 2322, fairmont
- dollar general 7132, fairmont
- dollar general 914, mannington
- dollar tree 9302, whitehall
- family dollar 10535, monongah
- family dollar 10914, farmington
- family dollar 12276, fairmont
- family dollar store 1391, mannington
- family dollar store 1630, fairmont
- family dollar store 5292, fairmont
- family dollar store 5673, fairview
- norman wine farms, fairmont
- walgreens 18959, mannington
- walgreens 19258, fairmont
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 69003, white hall
- east fairmont shop n save, fairmont
- fairmont save a lot 23826, fairmont
- food lion 1270, fairmont
Super Store · 3
- mannington price cutter, mannington
- south fairmont price cutter, fairmont
- walmart supercenter 1714, fairmont
Small Grocery Store · 2
- creekside country market llc, fairmont
- demarys market, rivesville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Marion County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Marion County sits inside West Virginia (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.