PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Marlboro County, SC

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Marlboro 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).

20.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
23.0%
on SNAP
26K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

20.6% of Marlboro County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
15.5%
households, no vehicle
28.5%
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 Marlboro County's low-access share at 20.6%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 5,949 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,554 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 Marlboro County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Marlboro County's 20.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,638 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Marlboro County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Marlboro 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 Marlboro County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (71.4%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 71% Limited 0% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Marlboro County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Marlboro 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 Marlboro County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,933
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population5,949
Low-Access Share20.6%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,554

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Marlboro County
IndicatorValue
Population25,975
Median Household Income$34,301
Poverty Rate28.5%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,254
SNAP Participation Rate23.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle15.5%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population9.4%
SNAP participation in Marlboro County 23.0%

About 23.0% of Marlboro County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 23.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,254 households here.
  • 15.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Marlboro County

above the national share

2 of Marlboro County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

An estimated 5,949 residents, roughly 20.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,554 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Marlboro County

Marlboro County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • corner cupboard #9, bennettsville
  • corner cupboard 1, wallace
  • corner cupboard 3, bennettsville
  • corner cupboard 4, bennettsville
  • corner grocery, bennettsville
  • eastside grocery, bennettsville
  • in & out, bennettsville
  • j's mini mart, mc coll
  • kountry mart, bennettsville
  • lotus mart 1, wallace
  • murphy express 8830, bennettsville
  • nic's pic kwik 5, mccoll
  • pic n pay, bennettsville
  • parker's pit stop, blenheim
  • pick & pay 2, bennettsville
  • refuel 1153, wallace
  • sams food mart llc, bennettsville
  • stop n go, bennettsville
  • tiger mart 18, clio
  • the pantry store, wallace
  • triple l wallace supply co, wallace

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • cvs pharmacy 5518, bennettsville
  • dollar general 14065, clio
  • dollar general 4685, bennettsville
  • dollar general 6704, mc coll
  • dollar general 8108, bennettsville
  • dollar general 12969, wallace
  • dollartree 4684, bennettsville
  • family dollar 11398, mccoll
  • family dollar store 65, bennettsville

Supermarket · 4

  • carlie c's iga 735, bennettsville
  • food lion 423, bennettsville
  • wiley's iga, mccoll
  • wylies iga, mc coll

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • thompsons breeden grocery, bennettsville
  • village grocery, mc coll

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • foodshare marlboro county, bennettsville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • johnny meats, bennettsville

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 4457, bennettsville

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 Marlboro County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Marlboro 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 Marlboro County has low food access? ▼
20.6% of residents in Marlboro 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 Marlboro County? ▼
23.0% of households in Marlboro County receive SNAP, covering 2,254 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Marlboro County? ▼
The poverty rate in Marlboro County, SC is 28.5%, with a median household income of $34,301 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Marlboro County a food desert? ▼
2 of Marlboro County'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 Marlboro County households lack a vehicle? ▼
15.5% of households in Marlboro 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.