County food-access profile · Alabama
Morgan County, AL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Morgan 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).
- 22.6%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 12.2%
- on SNAP
- 124K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
22.6% of Morgan County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 27 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 10K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.5%
- 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).
USDA data puts Morgan County's low-access share at 22.6%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 27 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 27,036 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,883 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 Morgan County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Morgan County's 22.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,480 most-affected nationwide.
Morgan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 27 census tracts in Morgan County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Morgan County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- Morgan
Morgan County, AL
22.6 % 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 | 27 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 119,490 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 27,036 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.6%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,883 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 124,471 |
| Median Household Income | $68,845 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,004 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 12.2% of Morgan County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 22.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,004 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Morgan County
above the national share
3 of Morgan County's 27 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 9.
An estimated 27,036 residents, roughly 22.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,883 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Morgan County
Morgan County has 119 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 59 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 59
- 5th ave food mart, decatur
- a&a store inc, somerville
- adams corner, somerville
- algasami inc, decatur
- all in one food mart, decatur
- andy's foodmart, hartselle
- big a, hartselle
- bravo investments llc yes, decatur
- c and c mini mart, somerville
- circle k 2723670, decatur
- circle k store 2709301, decatur
- circle k store 2709302, decatur
- circle k store 2709305, decatur
- citgo, decatur
- cotaco grocery, somerville
- danville 2 inc, decatur
- danville park shell 1, decatur
- decatur crossroads grocery, llc, decatur
- falkville inc, falkville
- flint wavaho express, decatur
- food mart, hartselle
- fuel city, decatur
- hartselle marathon, hartselle
- ironman grocery, hartselle
- izzy's deli inc, somerville
- jay binal inc, decatur
- jet pep food mart, hartselle
- jj's convenience store inc., falkville
- kv store, decatur
- love's travel stops & country stores, inc 381, falkville
- mapco express, inc. 5219, decatur
- mr quick, falkville
- midway stop, hartselle
- morning side shop-ezy, decatur
- murphy usa 7770, hartselle
- murphy usa 7885, decatur
- om 22 llc, decatur
- pilot travel center 441, decatur
- quick serve one stop, decatur
- raceway 6710, decatur
- raceway 6891, decatur
- river bridge shell, decatur
- sai aki, decatur
- shop in save, decatur
- sowega holdings inc - webb's busy bee - marathon, decatur
- speed z, decatur
- speedway 1044, decatur
- sri kanha inc, decatur
- texaco, decatur
- tucker's corner, somerville
- union hill grocery, union grove
- wally world mini mart 1, decatur
- wally world mini mart 3, decatur
- wally world mini mart 4, decatur
- wally world mini mart 5, decatur
- west mart, hartselle
- westmead chevron, decatur
- yashu citgo, decatur
- zeeln4u inc, somerville
Combination Grocery/Other · 35
- ayiya variety store., decatur
- cvs pharmacy 4844, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 4905, hartselle
- dollar general 1001, decatur
- dollar general 10916, trinity
- dollar general 11230, falkville
- dollar general 14448, hartselle
- dollar general 1685, hartselle
- dollar general 18767, hartselle
- dollar general 1957, decatur
- dollar general 4094, laceys spring
- dollar general 4128, decatur
- dollar general 7550, eva
- dollar general 9162, decatur
- dollar general 9636, danville
- dollar general 09874, somerville
- dollar general 10017, decatur
- dollar general 11359, decatur
- dollar general 12413, decatur
- dollar general 17262, somerville
- dollar general 20320, laceys spring
- dollar general 21125, decatur
- dollar general 22559, somerville
- dollar general 23142, hartselle
- dollar general 30981, decatur
- dollar general store 16427, hartselle
- dollar general store 17142, joppa
- dollar tree 2291, decatur
- dollar tree 3385, decatur
- dollar tree 5658, hartselle
- dollar tree 6453, decatur
- family dollar 610, decatur
- walgreen 02589, decatur
- walgreens 10966, hartselle
- walgreens 9976, decatur
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 74022 74022, decatur
- food4less 438, laceys spring
- foodland 814, decatur
- fresh value somerville 82, somerville
- hometown market 34, hartselle
- publix 0045, decatur
- priceless iga 37, decatur
- publix 1609, decatur
- jack's foodland, eva
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- guatemex supermarket fresh food, decatur
- la guerrerense, decatur
- la hacienda, decatur
- la monarca supermarket/restaurant, decatur
- la veracruzana, decatur
- zaragoza's supermarket, decatur
Super Store · 6
- kroger 854, decatur
- kroger 894, hartselle
- target store t-2084, decatur
- walmart 662, decatur
- walmart neighborhood market 2488, decatur
- walmart s/c 1124, hartselle
Large Grocery Store · 2
- la estrella food and fish market, decatur
- priceville foodland 211, decatur
Small Grocery Store · 2
- lakou lakay caribbean market, decatur
- paisano super market, decatur
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare Morgan County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
Morgan 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 Morgan County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Morgan County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Morgan County? ▼
Is Morgan County a food desert? ▼
What share of Morgan 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.