Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Nelson County, VA
Nelson County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 6.2% low-access.
- 6.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 11.4%
- on SNAP
- 15K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Nelson County, VA
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ADEQUATE 6.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -15.9 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Powhatan County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Nelson County lands in the lower national band (6.2%, #2,750 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,750
- national by low-access %
- #101
- in VA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 317
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Nelson County compares nationally
Food access in Nelson County compares favorably nationally: its 6.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,750).
Nelson County's lower-band USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 3 of Nelson County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Nelson County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Washington 7
Washington 7%
7 % low-access
- Nelson 6.2
Nelson 6.2%
6.2 % low-access
- Powhatan 6.1
Powhatan 6.1%
6.1 % low-access
- Lexington city 5.9
Lexington city 5.9%
5.9 % low-access
- Gloucester 5.5
Gloucester 5.5%
5.5 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,020 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 933 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 317 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 14,732 |
| Median Household Income | $72,589 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 728 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
SNAP retailers in Nelson County
Nelson County has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 12 authorized stores; Lovingston holds 50% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Arrington, Piney River.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Lovingston | 6 | 1 |
| Arrington | 3 | none |
| Nellysford | 2 | 1 |
| Piney River | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 5
- arrington mini mart, arrington
- colleen exxon & convenience, arrington
- deepak, inc., arrington
- fas mart 3532, lovingston
- sunny mountain store, lovingston
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 18577, piney river
- dollar general 1747, lovingston
- dollar general 17675, nellysford
- family dollar 3402, lovingston
Farmers' Market · 1
- village of lovingston farmers market, lovingston
Large Grocery Store · 1
- blue ridge grocery, nellysford
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 1531, lovingston
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Nelson County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Counties near Nelson County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Nelson County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (6.2% here).
- Addison County, VT · 6.2% low-access
- Decatur County, TN · 6.2% low-access
- Snyder County, PA · 6.2% low-access
- Harlan County, KY · 6.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (11.4% here).
- Caldwell County, TX · 11.4% SNAP
- Giles County, TN · 11.4% SNAP
- Oconee County, SC · 11.4% SNAP
- Lorain County, OH · 11.4% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Virginia among South Atlantic states
Virginia ranks 8th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (20.4%). Nelson County, at 6.2%, runs 14.2 pts below the Virginia rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Nelson County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51125. 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.