PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Monroe County, TN

Monroe County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

14.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.5%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

14.0% of Monroe County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.5%
households, no vehicle
15.5%
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).

Monroe County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.0% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,226 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,601 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 Monroe County compares nationally

Monroe County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.0% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,204).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Monroe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Monroe 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 Monroe County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (85.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 86% Limited 0% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Monroe County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Monroe County vs. other Tennessee counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee

% 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 Monroe County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)44,519
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,226
Low-Access Share14.0%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,601

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Monroe County
IndicatorValue
Population47,695
Median Household Income$56,895
Poverty Rate15.5%near the national average
SNAP Households3,064
SNAP Participation Rate15.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Monroe County 15.5%

About 15.5% of Monroe County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 14.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,064 households here.
  • 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Monroe County

near the national share

1 of Monroe County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 6,226 residents, roughly 14.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,601 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (85.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Monroe County

Monroe County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 32 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 32

  • allens 7 11, sweetwater
  • avon shell, madisonville
  • bellamy's food mart, sweetwater
  • brew and chew, sweetwater
  • c & r market, madisonville
  • checker flag market&deli, madisonville
  • circle k 4703624, sweetwater
  • circle k 4703626, sweetwater
  • circle k 4703627, sweetwater
  • d & p usa llc, vonore
  • ez stop food mart 26, vonore
  • expressway mart, sweetwater
  • harry's food mart 1, madisonville
  • highway 68 gulf, tellico plains
  • jay varai iv inc, tellico plains
  • local market, sweetwater
  • madisonville quick mart, madisonville
  • maruti 5432 corporation, sweetwater
  • mountain view market, tellico plains
  • murphy usa 6667, madisonville
  • rarity bay, vonore
  • shell valley mart, sweetwater
  • skyway mart, madisonville
  • skyway mart, tellico plains
  • the local market, madisonville
  • the local market 129, madisonville
  • three point market, madisonville
  • tj's food mart, sweetwater
  • tobacco king, madisonville
  • valley mart 9, sweetwater
  • weigel's 1086, sweetwater
  • weigel's 54, vonore

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • benton's smoky mountain country hams, madisonville
  • cvs pharmacy 7685, tellico plains
  • cvs pharmacy 5668, madisonville
  • dollar general 113, sweetwater
  • dollar general 3123, tellico plains
  • dollar general 6177, vonore
  • dollar general 700, madisonville
  • dollar general 11921, madisonville
  • dollar general 16314, sweetwater
  • dollar general 18137, tellico plains
  • dollar general 21176, madisonville
  • dollar general 31195, vonore
  • dollar general 31586, sweetwater
  • dollar general 31591, madisonville
  • dollar tree 1815, madisonville
  • dollar tree 6752, sweetwater
  • family dollar 13630, tellico plains
  • giszmo's sundries & salvage, madisonville
  • walgreen 10164, madisonville
  • walgreens 10066, sweetwater

Supermarket · 7

  • bill sloan supply ii, vonore
  • food city 620, vonore
  • ingles markets 306, sweetwater
  • ingles markets 87, madisonville
  • save-a-lot 22922, madisonville
  • sweetwater save-a-lot 22975, sweetwater
  • tellico save-a-lot 24004, tellico plains

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • bargain barn inc d/b/a grocery outlet 5, madisonville
  • grocery outlet 16, sweetwater

Super Store · 2

  • walmart 366, madisonville
  • walmart 4166, sweetwater

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • los alpes supermarket, madisonville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Monroe County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Monroe County sits inside Tennessee (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 Monroe County has low food access? ▼
14.0% of residents in Monroe County, TN 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 Monroe County? ▼
15.5% of households in Monroe County receive SNAP, covering 3,064 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Monroe County? ▼
The poverty rate in Monroe County, TN is 15.5%, with a median household income of $56,895 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Monroe County a food desert? ▼
1 of Monroe County's 7 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 Monroe County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.5% of households in Monroe 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.