County food-access profile · Texas
Midland County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Midland 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).
- 25.1%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 7.0%
- on SNAP
- 175K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.1% of Midland County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 26 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 12
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 4.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.3%
- 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 Midland County's low-access share at 25.1%, above the national share. 12 of the county's 26 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 34,327 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,977 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 Midland County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Midland County's 25.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,286 most-affected nationwide.
Midland County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 26 census tracts in Midland County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Midland County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Midland
Midland County, TX
25.1 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 26 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 136,872 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 12 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 34,327 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,977 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 174,801 |
| Median Household Income | $92,874 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,750 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.0%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 7.0% of Midland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,750 households here.
- 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Midland County
above the national share
5 of Midland County's 26 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.2% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.
An estimated 34,327 residents, roughly 25.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,977 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (53.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Midland County
Midland County has 154 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 85 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 85
- 7-eleven 0803, midland
- 7-eleven 0804, midland
- 7-eleven 0805, midland
- 7-eleven 0807, midland
- 7-eleven 0809, midland
- 7-eleven 0810, midland
- 7-eleven 0811, midland
- 7-eleven 0816, midland
- 7-eleven 0818, midland
- 7-eleven 0820, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42430, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42436, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42464, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42468, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42469, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42472, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42493, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42511, odessa
- 7-eleven, inc. 42514, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42520, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42527, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42560, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42565, midland
- 7-eleven, inc. 42583, midland
- asian market intl (cung grocery), midland
- brake time 109056, midland
- circle k 2709951, midland
- cedos a llc, midland
- circle k rv park & convenience store, midland
- cottonflat grocery, midland
- dk 11822, midland
- dk 11823, midland
- dk 812, midland
- dk 819, midland
- dk 821, midland
- fast stop, midland
- kent kwik 328, midland
- kent kwik 350, midland
- kent kwik 351, midland
- kent kwik 352, midland
- kent kwik 353, midland
- kent kwik 354, midland
- kent kwik 215, odessa
- kent kwik 301, midland
- kent kwik 302, midland
- kent kwik 303, midland
- kent kwik 304, midland
- kent kwik 306, midland
- kent kwik 308, midland
- kent kwik 309, midland
- kent kwik 311, midland
- kent kwik 312, midland
- kent kwik 315, midland
- kent kwik 316, midland
- kent kwik 317, midland
- kent kwik 318, midland
- kent kwik 319, midland
- kent kwik 320, midland
- kent kwik 321, midland
- kent kwik 322, midland
- kent kwik 325, midland
- kent kwik 326, midland
- kent kwik 327, midland
- kwik chek 71, midland
- love's travel stop 623, midland
- main street market 109, midland
- midland afrofood store, midland
- murphy express 8949, midland
- murphy usa 7249, midland
- murphy usa 7870, midland
- murphy usa 8656, midland
- one stop 12, midland
- pilot travel center 1033, midland
- pilot travel center 1145, midland
- pilot travel center 257, midland
- quick track 78, odessa
- quick track 81, midland
- quick track 82, midland
- shine asian food mart, midland
- shoppers stop, midland
- store 1209, midland
- tarzan & jane greenwood llc, midland
- uncle's 6373, midland
- uncle's 6375, midland
- uncle's 6381, midland
Combination Grocery/Other · 48
- cvs 4715, midland
- cvs pharmacy 10643, midland
- cvs pharmacy 10984, midland
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 4356, midland
- dollar general 1006, midland
- dollar general 14238, midland
- dollar general 18622, midland
- dollar general 18780, midland
- dollar general 19045, midland
- dollar general 3682, midland
- dollar tree 3089, midland
- dollartree 10220, midland
- dollartree 8536, midlandt
- dollar general 12360, midland
- dollar general 12946, midland
- dollar general 15974, odessa
- dollar general 16590, midland
- dollar general 17335, midland
- dollar general 17662, midland
- dollar general 17833, midland
- dollar general 1790, midland
- dollar general 19856, midland
- dollar general 20906, midland
- dollar general 20959, midland
- dollar general 21998, midland
- dollar general 22042, midland
- dollar general 22969, midland
- dollar general 23414, midland
- dollar general 30301, midland
- dollar general 30989, midland
- dollar general 31004, midland
- dollar general store 17195, midland
- dollar tree 2356, midland
- dollar tree 3127, midland
- dollar tree plus 9025, odessa
- family dollar 12228, midland
- family dollar 12337, midland
- family dollar 13162, midland
- family dollar 13913, midland
- family dollar 2223, midland
- family dollar 2314, midland
- family dollar 2346, midland
- family dollar 6765, midland
- family dollar store 12399, midland
- walgreens 06122, midland
- walgreens 13115, midland
- walgreens 13116, midland
- walgreens 13681, midland
Supermarket · 9
- carnieria la reyna, midland
- heb 382, midland
- heb food store 717, midland
- lowe's mercado 174, midland
- market street 674, midland
- natural grocers by vitamin cottage u044, midland
- super mercado thriftway 927, midland
- united supermarket 671, midland
- united supermarket 672, midland
Super Store · 5
- costco wholesale 1756, midland
- sam's club 8288, midland
- target store 770, midland
- walmart supercenter 3645, midland
- walmart supercenter 608, midland
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- aaa market, midland
- international taste, midland
- miami market, midland
Small Grocery Store · 2
- convee foods llc, midland
- cuba libre latin store, midland
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza tx044, midland
Large Grocery Store · 1
- la esperanza meat market, midland
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Midland County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Midland County sits inside Texas (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 Midland County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Midland County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Midland County? ▼
Is Midland County a food desert? ▼
What share of Midland 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.