PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Mecklenburg County, VA

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).

21.8%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
16.8%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

21.8% of Mecklenburg County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
7.2%
households, no vehicle
16.3%
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).

USDA data puts Mecklenburg County's low-access share at 21.8%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,119 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,125 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 Mecklenburg County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mecklenburg County's 21.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,544 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Mecklenburg County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Mecklenburg County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Mecklenburg County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (55.6%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (44.4%) Adequate 56% Limited 0% Severe 44% Food-access tier distribution: Mecklenburg County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Mecklenburg County vs. other Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Mecklenburg County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,727
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population7,119
Low-Access Share21.8%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,125

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Mecklenburg County
IndicatorValue
Population30,516
Median Household Income$57,045
Poverty Rate16.3%above the national average
SNAP Households2,281
SNAP Participation Rate16.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.3%
SNAP participation in Mecklenburg County 16.8%

About 16.8% of Mecklenburg County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,281 households here.
  • 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Mecklenburg County

above the national share

4 of Mecklenburg County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 44.4% of all its tracts.

An estimated 7,119 residents, roughly 21.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,125 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (41% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • cvs pharmacy 3915, chase city
  • cvs pharmacy 5736, clarksville
  • cvs/pharmacy 5507, south hill
  • dollar general 14120, bracey
  • dollar general 18378, south hill
  • dollar general 0328, south hill
  • dollar general 0375, chase city
  • dollar general 24847, clarksville
  • dollar general 3018, clarksville
  • dollar general 30351, chase city
  • dollar general 30878, bracey
  • dollar general 31024, south hill
  • dollar general 7338, boydton
  • dollar tree 495, la crosse
  • family dollar 128, chase city
  • homestead ransom, skipwith
  • maxway 1829, chase city
  • rose's 406, south hill

Convenience Store · 18

  • aplus 40014h, clarksville
  • aplus 40035h, la crosse
  • aplus 40001h, bracey
  • aplus 40003h, chase city
  • aplus 40002h, clarksville
  • blue heron deli & grill, la crosse
  • blue heron grocery & deli, chase city
  • country boys, chase city
  • gator's hwy 92, llc, chase city
  • hines grocery, la crosse
  • j. gill's, boydton
  • j.b jones co, la crosse
  • lee's convenience, clarksville
  • love's travel stop 469, south hill
  • quik fuel, south hill
  • sadler travel plaza of south hill 390, south hill
  • simmons travel center - bracey 001, bracey
  • slip in, south hill

Supermarket · 4

  • food lion 1152, south hill
  • food lion 2102, chase city
  • food lion 2620, clarksville
  • food lion 2622, south hill

Super Store · 2

  • dollar general market 12013, clarksville
  • walmart supercenter 1934, south hill

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • castle's butcher shop, chase city

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • chase city fruit stand, chase city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Mecklenburg County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Mecklenburg County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Mecklenburg County has low food access? ▼
21.8% of residents in Mecklenburg County, VA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mecklenburg County? ▼
16.8% of households in Mecklenburg County receive SNAP, covering 2,281 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Mecklenburg County? ▼
The poverty rate in Mecklenburg County, VA is 16.3%, with a median household income of $57,045 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Mecklenburg County a food desert? ▼
4 of Mecklenburg County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Mecklenburg County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.2% of households in Mecklenburg County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.