Signature · 64 SNAP-authorized stores

Monroe County, TN

Monroe County lands in the lower national band on low-access (14.0%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

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

USDA FARA access plate

County Monroe County, TN

LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-MODERATE 14.0% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -8.1 pts vs US
  • LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
  • SNAP-HEAVY 15.5% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 5.5% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 14% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Macon County (+ 0.0 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Monroe County lands in the lower national band (14.0%, #2,200 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,200
national by low-access %
#51
in TN
1
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 64 SNAP-authorized stores .

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's lower-band USDA tier split

7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.

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

By USDA urbanicity classification, Monroe County has 1 urban and 6 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.

Monroe County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Tennessee, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

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

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

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%

Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Tennessee

One of 94 counties in Tennessee, 6 are shown here.

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

Counties near Monroe County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Monroe County, both outside Tennessee so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside TN (14.0% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside TN (15.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Monroe County inside a lower low-access state context

Monroe County sits inside Tennessee (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 Monroe County, TN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 47123. 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.