County food-access profile · West Virginia
Marshall County, WV
Marshall 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.
- 11.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 21.2%
- on SNAP
- 30K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.5% of Marshall County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 7.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.8%
- 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).
Marshall County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.5% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,820 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,312 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 Marshall County compares nationally
Marshall County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.5% low-access share that beats 24% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,377).
Marshall County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Marshall County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Marshall County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Marshall 11.5
Marshall County, WV
11.5 % 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 | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 33,107 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,820 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,312 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 29,865 |
| Median Household Income | $59,169 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,647 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
About 21.2% of Marshall County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 21.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,647 households here.
- 7.9% 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 Marshall County
near the national share
1 of Marshall County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 3,820 residents, roughly 11.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,312 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marshall County
Marshall County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- 4704013.0 4013, glen dale
- astons pleasant valley store, cameron
- bread and butter deli llc, cameron
- cfm express 14, moundsville
- cfm express 300, moundsville
- coen 1715, moundsville
- dragon mart inc., cameron
- gone over yonder, moundsville
- marathon, moundsville
- marathon mini mart, mcmechen
- market on jefferson, moundsville
- smith oil #205, moundsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 6277, moundsville
- dollar general 14150, mcmechen
- dollar general 13546, benwood
- dollar general 25697, cameron
- dollar general 30974, glen dale
- dollar general 6037, moundsville
- dollar tree 2743, moundsville
- family dollar store 1603, cameron
- walgreens 17949, moundsville
Super Store · 2
- kroger 977, moundsville
- walmart 2852, moundsville
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 69016, moundsville
- gregs market 1, moundsville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- gregs market #3, moundsville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Marshall County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Marshall 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 Marshall County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Marshall County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Marshall County? ▼
Is Marshall County a food desert? ▼
What share of Marshall 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.