County food-access profile · Tennessee
McMinn County, TN
McMinn 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.
- 14.5%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.5%
- on SNAP
- 55K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.5% of McMinn County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.0%
- 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).
McMinn County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.5% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,574 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,119 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 McMinn County compares nationally
McMinn County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.5% low-access share that beats 31% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,157).
McMinn County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in McMinn County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
McMinn County vs. other Tennessee counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee
- McMinn
McMinn County, TN
14.5 % low-access
- Anderson 10.9
Anderson County, TN
10.9 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, TN
23 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, TN
12.6 % low-access
- Bledsoe 4.7
Bledsoe County, TN
4.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount County, TN
30.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 52,266 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,574 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,119 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 54,884 |
| Median Household Income | $61,470 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,873 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 13.5% of McMinn County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,873 households here.
- 4.2% 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 McMinn County
near the national share
2 of McMinn County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 7,574 residents, roughly 14.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,119 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in McMinn County
McMinn County has 63 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 32 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 32
- 79 express mini mart & deli, athens
- athens food mart no 1 1, athens
- aztex 136, athens
- aztex 138, athens
- aztex 139, calhoun
- circle k 4703621, athens
- circle k 4703623, etowah
- circle k 4703625, athens
- gas express llc 267, athens
- harry's 27, riceville
- ian's market 6, athens
- ian's market 8, athens
- kenjo 5, athens
- marathon food mart, athens
- metu llc, niota
- murphy usa 7709, athens
- nathani fuel and food 2, athens
- nathani fuel stop #3 3, athens
- niota first choice market, niota
- pilot travel center 4598, niota
- rocky top markets 908, athens
- shiva enterprise corp, athens
- shree kalashvar inc, riceville
- speedway 7147, athens
- sunrise market, athens
- sunrise market 14, athens
- the local market 130, englewood
- the local market 131, etowah
- the local market 137, athens
- tj fuel clearwater, athens
- tobacco king, athens
- weigels 1102, athens
Combination Grocery/Other · 21
- cvs pharmacy 3728, athens
- cvs pharmacy 3783, athens
- dollar general 14213, delano
- dollar general 18695, athens
- dollar general 212, etowah
- dollar general 2134, athens
- dollar general 6576, englewood
- dollartree 9259, etowah
- dollar general 11569, niota
- dollar general 21841, athens
- dollar general 23171, etowah
- dollar general 23497, riceville
- dollar general 24676, athens
- dollar general 24882, sweetwater
- dollar general 9888, riceville
- dollar tree 385, athens
- family dollar store 1328, etowah
- family dollar store 295, athens
- hyde farms meat market, athens
- walgreen 09522, athens
- walgreens 5790, athens
Supermarket · 7
- athens save-a-lot 22884, athens
- aldi 70079, athens
- food city 686, athens
- food city 747, etowah
- grocery outlet 3, athens
- ingles markets 88, athens
- price less iga 43, athens
Large Grocery Store · 1
- bargain barn 1, etowah
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the meatin place, riceville
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 663, athens
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Compare McMinn County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
McMinn County sits inside Tennessee (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 McMinn County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in McMinn County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in McMinn County? ▼
Is McMinn County a food desert? ▼
What share of McMinn 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.