PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Moore County, NC

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

26.8%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
8.6%
on SNAP
105K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

26.8% of Moore County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
10.1%
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 Moore County's low-access share at 26.8%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 23,660 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,027 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 Moore County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Moore County's 26.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 63% of them and ranked #1,168 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Moore County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Moore 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 Moore County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (55.6%) 6 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 56% Limited 33% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Moore County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Moore County vs. other North Carolina counties

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

% 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 Moore County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)88,247
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population23,660
Low-Access Share26.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,027

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Moore County
IndicatorValue
Population104,876
Median Household Income$86,080
Poverty Rate10.1%below the national average
SNAP Households3,772
SNAP Participation Rate8.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Moore County 8.6%

About 8.6% of Moore County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,772 households here.
  • 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Moore County

above the national share

2 of Moore County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 23,660 residents, roughly 26.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,027 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Moore County

Moore County has 88 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 40 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 40

  • circle k 2720475, southern pines
  • circle k 2723056, vass
  • circle k 2723301, aberdeen
  • circle k 2723480, southern pines
  • circle k 2723841, west end
  • circle k 2723842, cathage
  • friendly mart, robbins
  • fuel smart 9, robbins
  • hancocks country store, robbins
  • jay's food mart, southern pines
  • jays food mart 2, aberdeen
  • lucky stop food mart, carthage
  • m&s market, southern pines
  • mercy store, carthage
  • minuteman food mart 62, vass
  • murphy usa 7910, aberdeen
  • neighbors country store, vass
  • nic's pic kwik 6, pine bluff
  • pinebluff mini mart, pinebluff
  • pmg ss 76, carthage
  • quality mart 15 1205, southern pines
  • quick n easy #1, highfalls
  • refuel 1142, carthage
  • refuel 1145, aberdeen
  • sai deep inc, robbins
  • sheetz 809, carthage
  • sheetz 836, southern pines
  • short stop 10 10, lakeview
  • short stop 71 71, southern pines
  • short stop 77 77, pinehurst
  • short stop 78 78, pinehurst
  • speedway 7900, aberdeen
  • speedway 8673, aberdeen
  • speedway 8677, carthage
  • store 962, pinehurst
  • store 963, aberdeen
  • store 964, aberdeen
  • store 965, southern pines
  • taqueria y carniceria el amigo llc, aberdeen
  • wyleas corner store, west end

Combination Grocery/Other · 27

  • cvs pharmacy 10156, aberdeen
  • dollar general 1235, west end
  • dollar general 1236, carthage
  • dollar general 4351, aberdeen
  • dollar general 4421, robbins
  • dollar general 6396, aberdeen
  • dollar general 7052, vass
  • dollartree 9295, aberdeen
  • dollar general 12854, vass
  • dollar general 21930, vass
  • dollar general 22745, robbins
  • dollar general 23726, pinebluff
  • dollar general 23789, seagrove
  • dollar general 25140, aberdeen
  • dollar general 30382, carthage
  • dollar general 9334, southern pine
  • dollar general store 16808, west end
  • dollar tree 7642, west end
  • dollar tree 790, southern pines
  • dollar tree 7901, carthage
  • family dollar 54, aberdeen
  • family dollar 762, carthage
  • family dollar store 7269, pine bluff
  • family dollar store 7951, vass
  • walgreens 16136, carthage
  • walgreens 17067, pinehurst
  • walgreens 7096, aberdeen

Supermarket · 12

  • aldi 66152, aberdeen
  • carlie c's iga 755, robbins
  • food lion 1213, seven lakes
  • food lion 1586, carthage
  • food lion 353, aberdeen
  • food lion 528, southern pines
  • food lion 834, aberdeen
  • food lion 2181, carthage
  • lowes food store 160, pinehurst
  • lowes foods 261, southern pines
  • piggly wiggly 353, vass
  • the fresh market 029, southern pines

Super Store · 6

  • bj's membership club 244, southern pines
  • harris teeter 029, aberdeen
  • harris teeter 212, carthage
  • harris teeter 80, pinehurst
  • target store t2887, southern pines
  • walmart 1097, aberdeen

Farmers' Market · 1

  • moore county farmers market, southern pines

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • key packing company, robbins

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • san judas tienda mexicana, southern pines

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Moore County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Moore County sits inside North Carolina (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 Moore County has low food access? ▼
26.8% of residents in Moore County, NC 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 Moore County? ▼
8.6% of households in Moore County receive SNAP, covering 3,772 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Moore County? ▼
The poverty rate in Moore County, NC is 10.1%, with a median household income of $86,080 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Moore County a food desert? ▼
2 of Moore County's 18 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 Moore County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% of households in Moore 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.