County food-access profile · Alabama
Mobile County, AL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Mobile 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).
- 25.0%
- low-access pop.
- 21
- food-desert tracts
- 17.3%
- on SNAP
- 413K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.0% of Mobile County residents live in a low-access area, and 21 of its 114 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 45
- low-access tracts
- 40K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.2%
- 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 Mobile County's low-access share at 25.0%, above the national share. 45 of the county's 114 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 103,443 people. 21 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 40,126 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 Mobile County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mobile County's 25.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,296 most-affected nationwide.
Mobile County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 114 census tracts in Mobile County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mobile County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- Mobile
Mobile County, AL
25 % low-access
- Autauga
Autauga County, AL
33.9 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, AL
25.1 % low-access
- Barbour
Barbour County, AL
20.5 % low-access
- Bibb 1.6
Bibb County, AL
1.6 % low-access
- Blount 6.8
Blount County, AL
6.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 114 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 412,992 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 45 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 21 |
| Low-Access Population | 103,443 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.0%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 40,126 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 412,590 |
| Median Household Income | $58,880 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 27,937 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 17.3% of Mobile County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 27,937 households here.
- 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 21 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 Mobile County
above the national share
21 of Mobile County's 114 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.4% of all its tracts.
A further 24 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 45.
An estimated 103,443 residents, roughly 25.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 40,126 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 69 tracts (60.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mobile County
Mobile County has 496 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 149 locations (30% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 149
- 8 mile seafood n poboy, mobile
- big lots 3270, mobile
- cvs pharmacy 7671, mobile
- cvs pharmacy 4782, grand bay
- cvs pharmacy 4818, mobile
- cvs pharmacy 4877, mobile
- cvs pharmacy 4883, semmes
- cvs pharmacy 4888, mobile
- cvs pharmacy 4900, mobile
- cvs pharmacy 4903, mobile
- cvs pharmacy 6017, bayou la batre
- cvs pharmacy 7668, citronelle
- cvs pharmacy cvs11016, mobile
- cvs/pharmacy 10575, saraland
- cajun corner, mobile
- dollar general 0485, saraland
- dollar general 0694, wilmer
- dollar general 0724, mobile
- dollar general 0730, saraland
- dollar general 10091, mobile
- dollar general 10274, mobile
- dollar general 10361, bayou la batre
- dollar general 11165, mobile
- dollar general 13469, mobile
- dollar general 13500, mobile
- dollar general 13626, mobile
- dollar general 1396, mobile
- dollar general 13993, theodore
- dollar general 14067, mobile
- dollar general 14392, wilmer
- dollar general 1818, mobile
- dollar general 18533, eight mile
- dollar general 18712, grand bay
- dollar general 18744, wilmer
- dollar general 19561, mobile
- dollar general 21910, semmes
- dollar general 3242, mt vernon
- dollar general 3362, mobile
- dollar general 3720, mobile
- dollar general 5709, theodore
- dollar general 5734, mobile
- dollar general 6683, mobile
- dollar general 6926, semmes
- dollar general 6940, mobile
- dollar general 710, eight mile
- dollar general 7196, mobile
- dollar general 7611, mobile
- dollar general 7853, mobile
- dollar general 8083, mobile
- dollar general 8251, creola
- dollar general 8719, mobile
- dollar general 9039, eight mile
- dollar general 9295, mobile
- dollar general 9309, satsuma
- dollar general 9378, grand bay
- dollartree 6294, bayou la batre
- dollartree 8753, mobile
- dollartree 8900, mobile
- dollar general 10008, saraland
- dollar general 11711, chickasaw
- dollar general 12205, prichard
- dollar general 12720, mobile
- dollar general 13064, north mobile
- dollar general 13070, chunchula
- dollar general 13139, grand bay
- dollar general 15053, eight mile
- dollar general 15218, coden
- dollar general 15411, semmes
- dollar general 15785, mobile
- dollar general 17631, grand bay
- dollar general 20874, chunchula
- dollar general 20875, citronelle
- dollar general 22425, theodore
- dollar general 22430, mobile
- dollar general 23520, mobile
- dollar general 23911, grand bay
- dollar general 24507, irvington
- dollar general 24803, mobile
- dollar general 25125, theodore
- dollar general 25322, mobile
- dollar general 25927, semmes
- dollar general 30916, semmes
- dollar general 5710, theodore
- dollar general 885, citronelle
- dollar general 9096, theodore
- dollar general 9788, mobile
- dollar general 9842, irvington
- dollar general 9927, mobile
- dollar general store 17650, coden
- dollar tree 0882, mobile
- dollar tree 2538, mobile
- dollar tree 2799, mobile
- dollar tree 2919, mobile
- dollar tree 3167, semmes
- dollar tree 4210, mobile
- dollar tree 5323, saraland
- dollar tree 5821, mobile
- dollar tree 5974, mobile
- dollar tree 6264, mobile
- dollar tree 6472, mobile
- dollar tree 6820, eight mile
- dollar tree 7300, mobile
- dollar tree 7910, mobile
- dollar tree 7919, saraland
- dollartree 8948, chickasaw
- dollartree plus 8889, theodore
- family dollar 12455, theodore
- family dollar 12977, mobile
- family dollar 367, mobile
- family dollar 8918, mobile
- family dollar 9430, mount vernon
- family dollar store 10152, mobile
- family dollar store 10456, irvington
- family dollar store 10484, wilmer
- family dollar store 10545, mobile
- family dollar store 1261, citronelle
- family dollar store 1302, mobile
- family dollar store 2347, semmes
- family dollar store 3058, grand bay
- family dollar store 3187, mobile
- family dollar store 398, chickasaw
- family dollar store 410, mobile
- family dollar store 8788, mobile
- family dollar store 8882, mobile
- hall-namie packing company, inc., mobile
- hamilton produce wilmer llc, wilmer
- maxway 1925, mobile
- mi favorita tienda mexicana llc 1, semmes
- pakse asian market llc, irvington
- roses express 684, chickasaw
- sahara supermarket, mobile
- ted and nancys fruit stand, theodore
- the seafood house, mobile
- tte sidekick, theodore
- walgreen 10168, grand bay
- walgreens 07962, saraland
- walgreens 5151, mobile
- walgreens 5176, mobile
- walgreens 6085, mobile
- walgreens 6507, mobile
- walgreens 6639, mobile
- walgreens 7609, mobile
- walgreens 01777, mobile
- walgreens 10851, mobile
- walgreens 12333, eight mile
- walgreens 13159, semmes
- walgreens 15480, mobile
- walgreens 18994, mobile
- walgreens 19191, mobile
Convenience Store · 99
- 1 plus food mart, theodore
- 1 stop convenience store, mobile
- 4 stop gas llc, mobile
- 4 way food mart, mobile
- 7 days, prichard
- 98 express, wilmer
- airport shell, mobile
- azalea chevron n/a, mobile
- azalea shell, mobile
- b&k mini mart inc, mobile
- bp gas station, mobile
- banik food mart, mobile
- bd food mart, mobile
- big mo food mart llc, mobile
- black bear c store, mobile
- bp gas station, eight mile
- broad express, mobile
- broad street food mart, mobile
- broad street health inc, mobile
- brookley shell 1, mobile
- brothers market llc 2, mobile
- brothers pride gas station, mobile
- brothers quick mart, mobile
- budget zone of mobile inc - budget zone, mobile
- burns corner store, coden
- c pak grocery, grand bay
- cefco 411, mobile
- cefco 414, mobile
- cefco 433, mobile
- cefco 441, axis
- cefco 444, mobile
- chickasaw corner stop, chickasaw
- chickasaw food mart, chickasaw
- circle k 2704336, mobile
- circle k 2704472, mobile
- circle k 5997, mobile
- circle k 8251, saraland
- circle k stores inc 5984, simmes
- circle k stores inc 6757, mobile
- circle k stores inc 6762, mobile
- chevron 102, mobile
- chevron food mart 1, mobile
- chevron saraland, saraland
- chevron, pizza inn, grand bay
- circle k 2705998, semmes
- circle k 2706759, mobile
- circle k 2706760, mobile
- circle k 2706763, mobile
- circle k 2706764, mobile
- circle k 2721555, theodore
- circle k 2721567, satsuma
- circle k 2721569, theodore
- circle k 2721570, grand bay
- circle k 2721579, mobile
- circle k 2721580, saraland
- circle k 2721581, mobile
- circle k 2721583, mobile
- circle k store 2706628, theodore
- circle k store 2706635, mount vernon
- circle k store 2707735, grand bay
- circle k store 2707737, theodore
- circle k store 2707738, theodore
- circle k store 2707740, mobile
- circle k store 2707741, mobile
- circle k store 2707742, mobile
- circle k stores 4275, mobile
- circle k stores inc 8242, dauphin island
- citgo, mobile
- citgo quick stop, irvington
- citronelle first stop, citronelle
- citronelle shell, citronelle
- city market chevron, mobile
- clark exxon 22, mobile
- clark's 27, semmes
- clark's 7, mobile
- clark's exxon 18, mobile
- clark's exxon 21, mobile
- clarks 15, mobile
- clarks 20, saraland
- clarks 23, semmes
- clarks 25, mobile
- clarks oil 51, mobile
- coden grocery, coden
- cody one market, mobile
- corner quick stop, mobile
- corner quick stop 2, grand bay
- cottage hill chevron, mobile
- cottage hill food mart, mobile
- cottage hill food mart, mobile
- country store food mart, mobile
- county market, grand bay
- creola bp, creola
- culture food market, mobile
- d j's grocery, wilmer
- dip food mart llc, mobile
- discount mart, citronelle
- dauphin citgo, mobile
- dauphin island food mart, dauphin island
- dauphin shell, mobile
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's pizza al014, mobile
- pollman's bake shop, mobile
Showing 250 of 496 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare Mobile County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
Mobile County sits inside Alabama (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 Mobile County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mobile County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mobile County? ▼
Is Mobile County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mobile 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.