County food-access profile · West Virginia
Mason County, WV
Mason 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.
- 18.0%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 18.4%
- on SNAP
- 25K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.0% of Mason County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 6.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.4%
- 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).
Mason County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.0% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,906 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 Mason County compares nationally
Mason County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.0% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,863).
Mason County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Mason County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mason County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Mason
Mason County, WV
18 % 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 | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 27,324 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,906 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,767 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,043 |
| Median Household Income | $49,761 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,878 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.4%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
About 18.4% of Mason County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,878 households here.
- 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $49,761 with a 19.4% 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 Mason County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 4,906 residents, roughly 18.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,767 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mason County
Mason County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 13
- camp conley mart 174, point pleasant
- go mart 47, pt pleasant
- jerry's run food mart 188, apple grove
- mt alto food mart inc, mount alto
- marathon food mart, new haven
- par mar store 38, gallipolis ferry
- par mar store 39, mason
- pauls exxon, point pleasant
- point pleasant food mart 115, point pleasant
- speedway 9163, point pleasant
- sand hill food mart 112, point pleasant
- smiths market, milton
- trippetts dandi mart, glenwood
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- dollar general 0577, new haven
- dollar general 10026, mason
- dollar general 11893, ashton
- dollar general 17677, gallipolis ferry
- dollar general 19608, point pleasant
- dollar general 23676, point pleasant
- dollar general 25121, leon
- dollar general 4973, point pleasant
- dollar tree 7043, mason
- family dollar store 2062, point pleasant
- fruth pharmacy 1, point pleasant
- walgreens 18006, pt pleasant
Super Store · 2
- point pleasant piggly wiggly, point pleasant
- walmart supercenter 2849, mason
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- honey do produce, ashton
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- farm fresh favorites, southside
Small Grocery Store · 1
- leon general llc, leon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Mason County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Mason 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 Mason County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mason County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mason County? ▼
Is Mason County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mason 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.