County food-access profile · Delaware
New Castle County, DE
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of New Castle 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).
- 28.5%
- low-access pop.
- 19
- food-desert tracts
- 9.8%
- on SNAP
- 578K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.5% of New Castle County residents live in a low-access area, and 19 of its 129 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 61
- low-access tracts
- 32K
- food-desert residents
- 7.5%
- 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 New Castle County's low-access share at 28.5%, above the national share. 61 of the county's 129 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 153,723 people. 19 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 32,430 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 New Castle County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, New Castle County's 28.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,050 most-affected nationwide.
New Castle County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 129 census tracts in New Castle County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
New Castle County vs. other Delaware counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Delaware
- New Castle
New Castle County, DE
28.5 % low-access
- Kent
Kent County, DE
21.6 % low-access
- Sussex
Sussex County, DE
28.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 129 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 538,479 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 61 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 19 |
| Low-Access Population | 153,723 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 32,430 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 577,961 |
| Median Household Income | $91,166 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 22,077 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
About 9.8% of New Castle County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 22,077 households here.
- 7.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 19 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 New Castle County
above the national share
19 of New Castle County's 129 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.7% of all its tracts.
A further 42 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 61.
An estimated 153,723 residents, roughly 28.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 32,430 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 68 tracts (52.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in New Castle County
New Castle County has 442 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 145 locations (33% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 145
- 201 concord food market, wilmington
- 49 deli, wilmington
- 4th st deli & grocery llc, wilmington
- 4th st mini mart inc, wilmington
- 7 eleven 11301d, newark
- 7 eleven, newark
- 7 eleven #11291d 11291d, wilmington
- 7-eleven 40122h, newark
- 7-eleven inc f 11305c, wilmington
- 7-eleven, inc. 11288p, wilmington
- 7-eleven 11284b, newark
- 7-eleven 16354 16354, bear
- 7-eleven 20320d, wilmington
- 7-eleven store 11282d, wilmington
- 7-eleven store 11298, wilmington
- 701 family market inc, wilmington
- 7th st deli & grocery llc, wilmington
- 896 investments of delawarre inc 284, newark
- a-1 deli,groceries,pizza&fried chicken, wilmington
- afa inc/ star mart & deli, wilmington
- ab grocery mart inc, wilmington
- abarrotes de puebla, hockessin
- adams market, wilmington
- ahmet & esila llc, wilmington
- ak tobacco & variety inc, wilmington
- ambe market 2 llc, wilmington
- appleby shell, new castle
- arm enterprise llc. 9156, new castle
- aurora's tienda mexicana llc, wilmington
- bp, historic new castle
- bp gas station 12318, new castle
- bear bp 2, bear
- bills deli market inc, wilmington
- boulevard bp, wilmington
- brother and sister, wilmington
- brown bag deli & grocery llc, wilmington
- chesta llc, new castle
- circle k 2655768, wilmington
- circle k 2655790, claymont
- d&h market, wilmington
- darley pharmacy, claymont
- dash in 1285, wilmington
- dash in 1292, claymont
- dash in 1295, wilmington
- dash in 1406, new castle
- dash in 1407, middletown
- dash in 1410, wilmington
- dash in 1419, newark
- dash in 1487, newark
- dash in 1488, newark
- dash in 14911, wilmington
- delaware city citgo, delaware city
- discount tobacco & mini mart 1, wilmington
- dominican cafe mini market and food, wilmington
- eagle save mart no, wilmington
- eagle shop 1, wilmington
- eddys food market, wilmington
- evo market, new castle
- express market 1, wilmington
- exxon concord pike, wilmington
- exxon mobil 1286, wilmington
- family deli & grocery inc, wilmington
- fifty street mini market llc, wilmington
- fifty street mini market llc 1, wilmington
- first state exxon, new castle
- first stop gasoline of de inc 1485, newark
- franklin grocery and deli, wilmington
- grab n go market inc, wilmington
- greenville shell shell 449, wilmington
- hares corner no, new castle
- harmony exxon, newark
- harrison food market llc, wilmington
- i & c grocery and deli inc, wilmington
- ibb inc food market, wilmington
- jannah llc, wilmington
- jay mini market,inc 1, new castle
- jefferson mini mart llc, wilmington
- king market 2llc 1, new castle
- king star, wilmington
- knf of southbridge, wilmington
- kumar petroleum inc. 456, new castle
- la flor grocery store, wilmington
- la hacienda produce & grocery, llc, wilmington
- la morena mexican store 453209127, bear
- la plasita mexican grocery llc, new castle
- less stress express, wilmington
- liberty food mart, new castle
- liberty gas station, wilmington
- macks mini mart, bear
- mama juana grocery inc, wilmington
- maryland ave sunoco, wilmington
- mufeed deli inc, wilmington
- neighborhood deli and grocery, wilmington
- new castle shell, new castle
- new city mart inc 1, wilmington
- newark sunoco, newark
- north east market, wilmington
- ocky llc, wilmington
- one stop tobacco outlet and market, llc, newark
- orange deli & grocery, wilmington
- pleasantville country maid, new castle
- printz deli & grocery llc, wilmington
- quality sub market, inc, wilmington
- quick food market & deli, wilmington
- quick mart, wilmington
- quick mart inc, wilmington
- quick stop mini market, new castle
- quisqueya deli grocery, wilmington
- r&c deli 1, new castle
- rambleton country maid inc, new castle
- rash1 inc, wilmington
- ray's deli & grocery, wilmington
- rays market inc 1, wilmington
- richards deli, claymont
- richardson grocery, wilmington
- royal farms 160, newark
- royal farms 161, bear
- royal farms 196, wilmington
- royal farms 197, newark
- royal farms 236, middletown
- royal farms 349, new castle
- royal farms 464, wilmington
- royal farms 99, newark
- samson's country maid, newark
- shiva grocery, wilmington
- shore stop 227, townsend
- shore stop 252, smyrna
- shore stop 260, townsend
- shore stop 282, wilmington
- shore stop 287, new castle
- shore stop 297, wilmington
- shore stop 298, wilmington
- snack & tobacco bazaar 2, new castle
- speedway 2814, new castle
- speedway 43303, wilmington
- speedy gas, newark
- speedy mart, wilmington
- star gas & diesel, wilmington
- star snack, wilmington
- sunoco aplus, claymont
- sunoco aplus, wilmington
- sunoco aplus, new castle
- super food stores, new castle
- taffy food market, wilmington
- tienda mexicana la pequena, wilmington
Combination Grocery/Other · 105
- african food supermarket, bear
- al-madina halal meat & groceries, new castle
- bachetti bros of kirkwood inc, wilmington
- cvs 10238, claymont
- cvs 10375, middletown
- cvs 3038, wilmington
- cvs 3042, bear
- cvs pharmacy 10103, newark
- cvs pharmacy 10376, newark
- cvs pharmacy 10609, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 11472, newark
- cvs pharmacy 88, wilmington
- cvs/pharmacy 6869, new castle
- dollar general 14850, bear
- dollar general 17493, new castle
- dollar general 17687, claymont
- dollar tree 4641, new castle
- dollartree 09889, newark
- dollartree 8671, newark
- dollartree 8778, middletown
- deli stop inc, newark
- dollar general 10278, bear
- dollar general 12299, new castle
- dollar general 12896, newark
- dollar general 14633, wilmington
- dollar general 14910, townsend
- dollar general 15178, bear
- dollar general 15184, wilmington
- dollar general 19065, wilmington
- dollar general 21953, newark
- dollar general 23783, townsend
- dollar general 24968, wilmington
- dollar general 31189, newark
- dollar general 7562, bear
- dollar general 7862, newark
- dollar general 8622, wilmington
- dollar general store 17954, new castle
- dollar tree 1646, newport
- dollar tree 1653, claymont
- dollar tree 1654, wilmington
- dollar tree 1678, newark
- dollar tree 2220, new castle
- dollar tree 2251, wilmington
- dollar tree 2285, newark
- dollar tree 2817, wilmington
- dollar tree 3031, middletown
- dollar tree 3730, new castle
- dollar tree 3769, wilmington
- dollar tree 406, newark
- dollar tree 4975, wilmington
- dollar tree 5042, bear
- dollar tree 5524, wilmington
- dollar tree 7153, new castle
- dollar tree 7239, wilmington
- dollar tree 8329, wilmington
- family dollar 11978, newark
- family dollar 12187, wilmington
- family dollar 12281, wilmington
- family dollar 12618, wilmington
- family dollar 8260, claymont
- family dollar 8893, wilmington
- family dollar store 1111, middletown
- family dollar store 1865, newark
- family dollar store 4075, wilmington
- family dollar store 810, new castle
- feli's afro-caribbean market 333, new castle
- harvest market, hockessin
- jw african and international grocery llc, wilmington
- king salty barge inc, wilmington
- lena's and ant bumpy's eatery, wilmington
- newark natural foods, newark
- tatnall deli & market, wilmington
- walgreens 11003, newark
- walgreens 11005, wilmington
- walgreens 11006, wilmington
- walgreens 11017, bear
- walgreens 11020, wilmington
- walgreens 11022, bear
- walgreens 11025, greenville
- walgreens 11028, newark
- walgreens 11032, wilmington
- walgreens 11034, new castle
- walgreens 11035, newark
- walgreens 11045, newark
- walgreens 11048, newark
- walgreens 11049, wilmington
- walgreens 11050, newark
- walgreens 11051, stanton
- walgreens 11052, hockessin
- walgreens 11055, middletown
- walgreens 11058, new castle
- walgreens 11066, newark
- walgreens 11067, middletown
- walgreens 11069, wilmington
- walgreens 11070, wilmington
- walgreens 11075, middletown
- walgreens 11080, hockessin
- walgreens 11133, newark
- walgreens 11135, townsend
- walgreens 12462, middletown
- walgreens 12695, wilmington
- walgreens 13823, elsmere
- walgreens 21314, wilmington
- wang's oriental food store 1, newark
- zahra international foods market, newark
Showing 250 of 442 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Delaware
Compare New Castle County vs Kent County → · All Delaware counties →
Food access nationally, Delaware in context
New Castle County sits inside Delaware (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 New Castle County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in New Castle County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in New Castle County? ▼
Is New Castle County a food desert? ▼
What share of New Castle 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.