Signature · 6.5% low-access (13th pct)
Mitchell County, NC
Mitchell County lands in the lower national band on low-access (6.5%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 6.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 17.0%
- on SNAP
- 15K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Mitchell County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 6.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -15.6 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.0% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Vance County ( -0.4 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Mitchell County lands in the lower national band (6.5%, #2,729 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,729
- national by low-access %
- #79
- in NC
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 270
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 6.5% low-access (13th pct) (-15.6 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Mitchell County compares nationally
Food access in Mitchell County compares favorably nationally: its 6.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 13% of them (rank #2,731).
Mitchell County's lower-band USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Mitchell County has 0 urban and 4 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.
Mitchell County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Wilkes 6.9
Wilkes 6.9%
6.9 % low-access
- Mitchell 6.5
Mitchell 6.5%
6.5 % low-access
- Vance 6.1
Vance 6.1%
6.1 % low-access
- Jackson 6
Jackson 6%
6 % low-access
- Pamlico 5.9
Pamlico 5.9%
5.9 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,579 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,015 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 270 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 14,992 |
| Median Household Income | $57,602 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,117 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.1%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
SNAP retailers in Mitchell County
Mitchell County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 7574, spruce pine
- dollar general 18574, bakersville
- dollar general 3134, spruce pine
- dollar general 6097, bakersville
- dollar general 16504, spruce pine
- dollar tree 8422, spruce pine
- the produce stand, spruce pine
Convenience Store · 5
- cruz thru 1, spruce pine
- hopson's texaco, bakersville
- murphy usa 6597, spruce pine
- red hill grocery, bakersville
- stamey's grocery 1, spruce pine
Delivery Route · 1
- tractor food and farms, spruce pine
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- uplifting deals, llc, spruce pine
Small Grocery Store · 1
- gateway market, bakersville
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2749, spruce pine
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 Mitchell County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Mitchell County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Mitchell County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (6.5% here).
- Adair County, KY · 6.5% low-access
- Adair County, KY · 6.5% low-access
- Stephenson County, IL · 6.5% low-access
- Stephenson County, IL · 6.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (17.0% here).
- Marion County, OH · 17.0% SNAP
- Marion County, OH · 17.0% SNAP
- Bernalillo County, NM · 17.0% SNAP
- Bernalillo County, NM · 17.0% 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.
Mitchell County inside a lower low-access state context
Mitchell 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 Mitchell County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37121. 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.