Signature · 8.7% SNAP (10th pct in NC)
Mecklenburg County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Mecklenburg 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).
- 21.3%
- low-access pop.
- 19
- food-desert tracts
- 8.7%
- on SNAP
- 1.2M
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Mecklenburg County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 21.3% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH -0.8 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 19 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 8% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pitt County (+ 0.4 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Mecklenburg County ranks #1,578 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #41 of 100 counties in NC (21.3% low-access; 19 food-desert tracts).
- #1,578
- national by low-access %
- #41
- in NC
- 93
- low-access tracts
- 50K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 8.7% SNAP (10th pct in NC) (-3.4 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Mecklenburg County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mecklenburg County's 21.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,581 most-affected nationwide.
Mecklenburg County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
231 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 19 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Mecklenburg County has 224 urban and 7 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Mecklenburg County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Ashe 22.2
Ashe 22.2%
22.2 % low-access
- Pitt 21.7
Pitt 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Mecklenburg 21.3
Mecklenburg 21.3%
21.3 % low-access
- Scotland 20.8
Scotland 20.8%
20.8 % low-access
- Beaufort 20.7
Beaufort 20.7%
20.7 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 231 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 919,628 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 93 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 19 |
| Low-Access Population | 195,936 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 50,345 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,154,681 |
| Median Household Income | $87,005 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 40,445 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County has 693 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 161 locations (23% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 161
- a & a international food, charlotte
- akachi african international food market, charlotte
- asian & shwe myanmar market, charlotte
- balageru mart, charlotte
- bosna market, charlotte
- cvs 10574, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 1674, huntersville
- cvs pharmacy 187, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 2314, cornelius
- cvs pharmacy 2357, huntersville
- cvs pharmacy 2560, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 2563, huntersville
- cvs pharmacy 2571, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 2772, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 3319, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 3526, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 4295, matthews
- cvs pharmacy 5264, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 5583, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 6402, davidson
- cvs pharmacy 6518, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 7157, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 7213, matthews
- cvs pharmacy 7407, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 7492, matthews
- cvs pharmacy 7536, mint hill
- cvs pharmacy 7941, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 8260, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 2559, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 2562, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 3185, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 3540, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 3896, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 5445, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 7089, charlotte
- cvs pharmacy 7688, charlotte
- cvs/pharmacy 1632, charlotte
- cvs/pharmacy 2561, charlotte
- central fish market, charlotte
- dollar general 11106, charlotte
- dollar general 1186, mint hill
- dollar general 18687, charlotte
- dollar general 3851, charlotte
- dollar general 4249, charlotte
- dollar general 7239, mint hill
- dollar general 9418, pineville
- dollar tree 0808, charlotte
- dollar tree 1534, charlotte
- dollar tree 1859, charlotte
- dollartree 9006, charlotte
- dollartree 9950, matthews
- dt plus 9185, charlotte
- dollar general 11951, charlotte
- dollar general 12207, charlotte
- dollar general 12214, charlotte
- dollar general 12834, charlotte
- dollar general 13548, charlotte
- dollar general 13672, charlotte
- dollar general 23206, matthews
- dollar general 24804, charlotte
- dollar general 25253, huntersville
- dollar general 25692, charlotte
- dollar general 821, charlotte
- dollar tree 0238, charlotte
- dollar tree 208, charlotte
- dollar tree 2255, charlotte
- dollar tree 2280, matthews
- dollar tree 229, charlotte
- dollar tree 2316, charlotte
- dollar tree 3611, charlotte
- dollar tree 4259, charlotte
- dollar tree 4609, charlotte
- dollar tree 4661, cornelius
- dollar tree 5134, charlotte
- dollar tree 5722, mint hill
- dollar tree 5826, charlotte
- dollar tree 6358, charlotte
- dollar tree 6865, charlotte
- dollar tree 6985, charlotte
- dollar tree 7703, charlotte
- dollar tree 8546, charlotte
- family dollar 10077, charlotte
- family dollar 10257, charlotte
- family dollar 11330, charlotte
- family dollar 11376, charlotte
- family dollar 11575, charlotte
- family dollar 11612, charlotte
- family dollar 12060, charlotte
- family dollar 12450, charlotte
- family dollar 1931, charlotte
- family dollar 1933, charlotte
- family dollar 2, charlotte
- family dollar 2817, charlotte
- family dollar 2972, charlotte
- family dollar 30, charlotte
- family dollar 3737, charlotte
- family dollar 3843, charlotte
- family dollar 4231, charlotte
- family dollar 4761, charlotte
- family dollar 5203, charlotte
- family dollar 5424, charlotte
- family dollar 5446, charlotte
- family dollar 5851, charlotte
- family dollar 64, charlotte
- family dollar 6656, charlotte
- family dollar 6680, charlotte
- family dollar 7179, charlotte
- family dollar 7523, charlotte
- family dollar 8259, charlotte
- family dollar 829, charlotte
- family dollar 8388, charlotte
- family dollar 8876, charlotte
- family dollar store 10078, charlotte
- family dollar store 10175, charlotte
- family dollar store 10701, charlotte
- family dollar store 7747, charlotte
- family dollar store 7926, charlotte
- family dollar store 8486, charlotte
- family dollar store 8840, charlotte
- golden elephant lao-asian market llc, charlotte
- ken international market, charlotte
- kora sounds the african market, charlotte
- la centroamericana, charlotte
- latda asian market, charlotte
- mam's tropical food market, charlotte
- s & w asian grocery store llc, charlotte
- supermecado la paloma, huntersville
- vieng keo lao-thai market no, charlotte
- walgreen 07766, charlotte
- walgreens 04549, mint hill
- walgreens 4546, charlotte
- walgreens 4869, charlotte
- walgreens 5761, charlotte
- walgreens 6480, charlotte
- walgreens 7342, charlotte
- walgreens 07400, huntersville
- walgreens 09184, charlotte
- walgreens 10275, charlotte
- walgreens 10287, huntersville
- walgreens 11266, cornelius
- walgreens 11396, charlotte
- walgreens 11460, pineville
- walgreens 11484, charlotte
- walgreens 11919, cornelius
- walgreens 1376, charlotte
- walgreens 13985, charlotte
- walgreens 15008, charlotte
- walgreens 15392, huntersville
- walgreens 16087, charlotte
- walgreens 17073, charlotte
- walgreens 17660, charlotte
- walgreens 18053, charlotte
- walgreens 18121, charlotte
- walgreens 18352, charlotte
- walgreens 19220, charlotte
- walgreens 19654, charlotte
- walgreens 19702, charlotte
- walgreens 4547, charlotte
- walgreens 4548, charlotte
- walgreens 6479, matthews
- walgreens 9084, matthews
Convenience Store · 89
- 1-stop food store, charlotte
- 2701867.0 1867, charlotte
- 49ers bodega, charlotte
- 7 eleven #38626a 38626a, charlotte
- 7 eleven 35546j, charlotte
- 7-eleven #36776j 36776k, charlotte
- 7-eleven #41168a 41168a, huntersville
- 7-eleven - f2386 35572a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35545a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35552, cornelius
- 7-eleven 35554a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35557k, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35559, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35560, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35561j, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35562a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35566j, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35568a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35569j, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35570j, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35592k, charlotte
- 7-eleven 37028j, charlotte
- 7-eleven 37282h, charlotte
- 7-eleven 37292h, charlotte
- 7-eleven 38539h, charlotte
- 7-eleven 41328h, charlotte
- 7-eleven 41352h, charlotte
- 7-eleven 42346h, charlotte
- 7-eleven inc f 35556a, charlotte
- 7-eleven, inc. 35589l, charlotte
- 7-eleven #35543a 35543a, charlotte
- 7-eleven #35547c 35547c, charlotte
- 7-eleven #35549c 35549c, huntersville
- 7-eleven #35564c 35564c, pineville
- 7-eleven #35580c 35580c, charlotte
- 7-eleven #35582b 35582b, charlotte
- 7-eleven #35584b 35584b, charlotte
- 7-eleven #35593b 35593b, matthews
- 7-eleven #36993b 36993b, charlotte
- 7-eleven #38677a 38677a, charlotte
- 7-eleven #38721a 38721a, charlotte
- 7-eleven #38863a 38863a, charlotte
- 7-eleven #41253a 41253a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 30348a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35544, huntersville
- 7-eleven 35555, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35565a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35576a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35578a 35578a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35579a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35583b, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35585a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35586a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35588c, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35590a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 35594, matthews
- 7-eleven 36779a, charlotte
- 7-eleven 37007b, charlotte
- 7-eleven 37105a, charlotte
- 786 cstore, charlotte
- 786 distribution, inc. 1, charlotte
- adam's mart #1, charlotte
- amore store llc, charlotte
- archdale minimart & laundry, charlotte
- artesania los potrillos, charlotte
- asian grocery, charlotte
- at rozzelles mini mart, charlotte
- b and k gas & more, charlotte
- bm food mart, pineville
- beatties corner mart, charlotte
- briarcreek market, charlotte
- byrum's food mart, charlotte
- central food mart, charlotte
- charlotte fast mart, charlotte
- circle k store 4747, charlotte
- circle k store 8403, charlotte
- circle k stores inc. 2705108, charlotte
- catawba village bp no, charlotte
- caton's grocery, charlotte
- cherry market 1, charlotte
- chill and fill, charlotte
- circle k 1935, charlotte
- circle k 2720828, charlotte
- circle k 2721553, charlotte
- circle k 2723922, charlotte
- circle k 2723923, charlotte
- circle k 2723924, charlotte
- circle k 2723927, charlotte
- circle k 2723928, charlotte
Showing 250 of 693 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
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 Mecklenburg County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Mecklenburg County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Mecklenburg County (8.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside North Carolina.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (21.3% here).
- Yellowstone County, MT · 21.3% low-access
- Yellowstone County, MT · 21.3% low-access
- Panola County, MS · 21.3% low-access
- Panola County, MS · 21.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (8.7% here).
- Callaway County, MO · 8.7% SNAP
- Callaway County, MO · 8.7% SNAP
- Crow Wing County, MN · 8.7% SNAP
- Crow Wing County, MN · 8.7% 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.
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Mecklenburg County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Mecklenburg County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37119. 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.