Signature · 9.8% SNAP (0th pct in DE)
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)
USDA FARA access plate
County New Castle County, DE
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 28.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.4 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 19 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.8% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 15% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Sussex County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, New Castle County ranks #1,046 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #2 of 3 counties in DE (28.5% low-access; 19 food-desert tracts).
- #1,046
- national by low-access %
- #2
- in DE
- 61
- low-access tracts
- 32K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 9.8% SNAP (0th pct in DE) (-2.3 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
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
129 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 19 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, New Castle County has 121 urban and 8 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.
New Castle County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Delaware, not a full county-board reprint
- Sussex
Sussex 28.6%
28.6 % low-access
- New Castle
New Castle 28.5%
28.5 % low-access
- Kent
Kent 21.6%
21.6 % 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 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Delaware
Compare New Castle County vs Kent County → · All Delaware counties →
Nationwide peers for New Castle County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for New Castle County (9.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Delaware.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside DE (28.5% here).
- El Paso County, CO · 28.5% low-access
- El Paso County, CO · 28.5% low-access
- Cowley County, KS · 28.5% low-access
- Cowley County, KS · 28.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside DE (9.8% here).
- Amador County, CA · 9.8% SNAP
- Amador County, CA · 9.8% SNAP
- Howard County, AR · 9.8% SNAP
- Howard County, AR · 9.8% 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.
Food access nationally, Delaware in context
New Castle County sits inside Delaware (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 New Castle County, DE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 10003. 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.