Signature · 2.8% low-access (7th pct)
McDowell County, NC
McDowell County lands in the lower national band on low-access (2.8%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 2.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 18.3%
- on SNAP
- 45K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County McDowell County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 2.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -19.3 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 18.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Graham County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
McDowell County lands in the lower national band (2.8%, #2,927 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,927
- national by low-access %
- #91
- in NC
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 576
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 2.8% low-access (7th pct) (-19.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How McDowell County compares nationally
Food access in McDowell County compares favorably nationally: its 2.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,927).
McDowell County's lower-band USDA tier split
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
McDowell County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (8 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
McDowell County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Clay 3.2
Clay 3.2%
3.2 % low-access
- Swain 2.9
Swain 2.9%
2.9 % low-access
- McDowell 2.8
McDowell 2.8%
2.8 % low-access
- Graham 2.7
Graham 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
- Warren 2.5
Warren 2.5%
2.5 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 44,996 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,254 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 576 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 44,817 |
| Median Household Income | $57,168 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,419 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in McDowell County
McDowell County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 48 authorized stores; Marion holds 77% of them. 1 of the 3 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Nebo.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Marion | 37 | 6 |
| Old Fort | 6 | 1 |
| Nebo | 5 | none |
Convenience Store · 25
- big daddy's mini mart 4, marion
- dysartsville general store, nebo
- k.g.'s quik stop 103, marion
- kgs quik stop 104, marion
- kay express, marion
- kwik mart, marion
- love' travel stops & country stores, inc 308, marion
- m & m supermarket, marion
- mi nanchito, marion
- murphy express 8682, marion
- nebo truck stop, nebo
- pgm brothers, marion
- pilot travel center 1063, marion
- samir's 1, old fort
- samir's 14, old fort
- samir's 2, marion
- samir's 3, marion
- samir's 4, marion
- samir's 5, nebo
- samir's 6, marion
- sheetz 867, marion
- simar mart llc, marion
- stuckeys dairy queen, old fort
- sugar hill food mart 0, marion
- west court food mart, marion
Combination Grocery/Other · 14
- cvs pharmacy 3534, marion
- dollar general 11080, old fort
- dollar general 3060, marion
- dollar general 6062, nebo
- dollartree 8832, marion
- dollar general 12691, marion
- dollar general 14888, marion
- dollar general 15706, nebo
- dollar general 16048, marion
- dollar general 18037, marion
- dollar general 22169, old fort
- dollar general 8580, marion
- dollar tree 4728, marion
- family dollar store 294, marion
Supermarket · 6
- doves morning fresh market 1, marion
- food lion 1085, marion
- frisbee's inc, old fort
- grocery outlet 28, marion
- ingles markets 60, marion
- west court food center, marion
Farmers' Market · 1
- historic marion tailgate market, marion
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- p & r produce, marion
Super Store · 1
- walmart store 1694, marion
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare McDowell County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near McDowell County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for McDowell County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (2.8% here).
- McKean County, PA · 2.8% low-access
- McCreary County, KY · 2.8% low-access
- Jasper County, GA · 2.8% low-access
- Grand County, CO · 2.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (18.3% here).
- Coshocton County, OH · 18.3% SNAP
- Wayne County, MO · 18.3% SNAP
- Ogemaw County, MI · 18.3% SNAP
- Jackson County, TX · 18.3% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). McDowell County, at 2.8%, runs 20.1 pts below the North Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for McDowell County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37111. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.