Signature · 69 SNAP-authorized stores
Mercer County, WV
Mercer County sits in the upper national band on low-access (30.1%, +8 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 30.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 21.6%
- on SNAP
- 59K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Mercer County, WV
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 30.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +8.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 21.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 19% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Wood County ( -0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Mercer County sits in the upper national band (30.1%, #927 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #927
- national by low-access %
- #9
- in WV
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 69 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Mercer County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mercer County's 30.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #932 most-affected nationwide.
Mercer County's elevated USDA tier split
16 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Mercer County has 9 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.
Mercer County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Gilmer
Gilmer 81.6%
81.6 % low-access
- Mercer 30.1
Mercer 30.1%
30.1 % low-access
- Wood 29.8
Wood 29.8%
29.8 % low-access
- Jefferson 28.5
Jefferson 28.5%
28.5 % low-access
- Wayne 28.4
Wayne 28.4%
28.4 % low-access
- Hampshire 28.1
Hampshire 28.1%
28.1 % low-access
- Pleasants 0
Pleasants 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 62,264 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 18,719 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,871 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 58,563 |
| Median Household Income | $53,210 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,242 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Mercer County
Mercer County has 69 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 34 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 34
- a&d ameer inc., princeton
- arrowhead deli, bluefield
- big blue manor market llc, bluefield
- c & j enterprises, rock
- corner mart 7, princeton
- fast stop, princeton
- fast stop, bluefield
- flowers bakery outlet 448, bluefield
- go mart 67, princeton
- hop n go #4, bluefield
- hop-n-go #2, princeton
- hop-n-go #3, bluefield
- hop-n-go #1, bluefield
- joy food store, bluefield
- lean 2 inc. dba glenwood country store 1, princeton
- little general 2225, princeton
- little general 2240, princeton
- little general 2255, princeton
- little general 2265, princeton
- little general 2268, princeton
- little general store 7760, princeton
- melrose square, princeton
- mountaineer market j4, princeton
- old school grocery, montcalm
- one stop 8531, princeton
- par mar store 69, athens
- pipestem one-stop, llc, athens
- pop shop, freeman
- sheetz 456, princeton
- sheetz 458, princeton
- sunrise market, lerona
- the hot stop, bluefield
- village store, princeton
- wilcoat, llc, princeton
Combination Grocery/Other · 25
- big lots 3096, princeton
- cvs pharmacy 6318, athens
- cvs pharmacy 6310, bluefield
- cvs pharmacy 6314, princeton
- dollartree 10652, bluefield
- dollartree 1510, princeton
- dollartree 9764, princeton
- dollar general 0923, princeton
- dollar general 13715, lashmeet
- dollar general 15297, bluefield
- dollar general 15409, athens
- dollar general 15665, bluefield
- dollar general 16628, princeton
- dollar general 17338, lerona
- dollar general 23025, princeton
- dollar general 23104, bluefield
- dollar general 30795, princeton
- dollar general 3749, bluefield
- dollar general 4077, princeton
- dollar tree 41, bluefield
- family dollar 9015, bluefield
- family dollar store 371, bluefield
- family dollar store 3792, princeton
- family dollar store 7967, princeton
- walgreens 10876, princeton
Supermarket · 6
- grants supermarket 18, bluefield
- grants supermarket 3, princeton
- grants supermarket 4, bluefield
- grants supermarket 5, bluefield
- grants supermarket 7, princeton
- grants supermarket 8, princeton
Super Store · 2
- kroger 316, princeton
- walmart supercenter 2933, princeton
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- cooks packing, bluefield
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- lashmeet grocery, lashmeet
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in West Virginia
One of 54 counties in West Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Mercer County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Counties near Mercer County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Mercer County, both outside West Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WV (30.1% here).
- Douglas County, WI · 30.1% low-access
- Douglas County, WI · 30.1% low-access
- Young County, TX · 30.1% low-access
- Young County, TX · 30.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WV (21.6% here).
- Otero County, NM · 21.6% SNAP
- Otero County, NM · 21.6% SNAP
- Caddo Parish, LA · 21.6% SNAP
- Caddo Parish, LA · 21.6% 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.
Mercer County inside a higher low-access state context
Mercer County sits inside West Virginia (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 Mercer County, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54055. 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.