PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · West Virginia

Monongalia County, WV

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Monongalia 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).

21.1%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
9.3%
on SNAP
107K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WV

The food-access picture

21.1% of Monongalia County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
7.6%
households, no vehicle
19.7%
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 Monongalia County's low-access share at 21.1%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 24 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,304 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,865 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 Monongalia County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Monongalia County's 21.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 49% of them and ranked #1,597 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Monongalia County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 24 census tracts in Monongalia 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 Monongalia County, WV USDA-defined food-access tiers: 15 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 24 tracts evaluated. 15 tracts adequate (62.5%) 5 tracts limited (20.8%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 63% Limited 21% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Monongalia County, WV
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Monongalia County vs. other West Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West 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 Monongalia County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts24
Atlas Population (2010 basis)96,189
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population20,304
Low-Access Share21.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,865

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Monongalia County
IndicatorValue
Population107,163
Median Household Income$65,346
Poverty Rate19.7%above the national average
SNAP Households4,169
SNAP Participation Rate9.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.6%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.0%
SNAP participation in Monongalia County 9.3%

About 9.3% of Monongalia County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,169 households here.
  • 7.6% 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 Monongalia County

above the national share

4 of Monongalia County's 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 20,304 residents, roughly 21.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,865 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 15 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Monongalia County

Monongalia County has 74 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 37 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 37

  • 4704000.0 4000, morgantown
  • 4704001.0 4001, morgantown
  • 4704002.0 4002, morgantown
  • 4704003.0 4003, morgantown
  • 4704014.0 4014, morgantown
  • 4704015.0 4015, morgantown
  • american ways, morgantown
  • bfs foods 25, morgantown
  • bfs foods 26, morgantown
  • bfs foods 30, morgantown
  • bfs foods 38, morgantown
  • bfs foods 74, morgantown
  • bfs foods 88, morgantown
  • bfs foods 94, morgantown
  • bfs foods 93, morgantown
  • black bear express westridge, westover
  • getgo 3059, morgantown
  • go mart 11, morgantown
  • go mart 36, morgantown
  • little general 7540, morgantown
  • little general 7575, morgantown
  • little general 7580, morgantown
  • one stop 8513, morgantown
  • par mar store 119, morgantown
  • par mar store 120, blacksville
  • par mar store 127, morgantown
  • par mar store 177, morgantown
  • par mar store 26, morgantown
  • pilot travel center 503, morgantown
  • statler's country mart, core
  • sheetz 254, morgantown
  • sheetz 275, morgantown
  • sheetz 349, morgantown
  • sheetz 486, morgantown
  • sheetz 575, morgantown
  • sheetz 604, morgantown
  • sheetz 690, morgantown

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • cvs 10364, morgantown
  • cvs 4136, morgantown
  • cvs pharmacy 6280, morgantown
  • cvs pharmacy 10124, morgantown
  • dollar general 17964, cassville
  • dollartree 9039, morgantown
  • dollar general 13238, star city
  • dollar general 19756, morgantown
  • dollar general 19759, morgantown
  • dollar general 22098, morgantown
  • dollar general 9880, blacksville
  • dollar tree 3781, morgantown
  • dollar tree 54, morgantown
  • dollar tree 7582, morgantown
  • dollartree 10701, morgantown
  • family dollar store 3756, morgantown
  • family dollar store 4853, morgantown
  • family dollar store 7895, morgantown
  • walgreens 09343, morgantown
  • walgreens 17700, westover

Super Store · 10

  • cheat lake price cutter, morgantown
  • giant eagle 58, morgantown
  • giant eagle 59, morgantown
  • kroger 714, morgantown
  • kroger 755, morgantown
  • kroger 813, morgantown
  • sam's club 4936, morgantown
  • target store 1949, morgantown
  • walmart 3215, morgantown
  • walmart supercenter 2083, morgantown

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • african caribbean food market, morgantown
  • asia royal grocery, morgantown
  • mal's fresh produce place mal's #1, morgantown

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 69040, morgantown
  • aldi 69005, star city

Farmers' Market · 1

  • morgantown farmers market growers association, morgantown

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • kassars food & gifts, morgantown

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in West Virginia

Barbour County
11.4% low-access · 19.5% SNAP
Berkeley County
38.8% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Boone County
6.6% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Braxton County
18.3% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Brooke County
16.9% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Cabell County
8.3% low-access · 16.7% SNAP

Compare Monongalia County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, West Virginia in context

Monongalia County sits inside West 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 Monongalia County has low food access? ▼
21.1% of residents in Monongalia County, WV 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 Monongalia County? ▼
9.3% of households in Monongalia County receive SNAP, covering 4,169 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Monongalia County? ▼
The poverty rate in Monongalia County, WV is 19.7%, with a median household income of $65,346 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Monongalia County a food desert? ▼
4 of Monongalia County's 24 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 Monongalia County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.6% of households in Monongalia 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.