County food-access profile · North Carolina
New Hanover County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of New Hanover 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).
- 28.7%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 9.2%
- on SNAP
- 235K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.7% of New Hanover County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 44 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 27
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.3%
- 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 Hanover County's low-access share at 28.7%, above the national share. 27 of the county's 44 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 58,148 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 17,897 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 Hanover County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, New Hanover County's 28.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 67% of them and ranked #1,025 most-affected nationwide.
New Hanover County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 44 census tracts in New Hanover County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
New Hanover County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- New Hanover
New Hanover County, NC
28.7 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 44 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 202,667 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 27 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 58,148 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 17,897 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 235,229 |
| Median Household Income | $75,166 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,694 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
About 9.2% of New Hanover County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,694 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Hanover County
above the national share
8 of New Hanover County's 44 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.
A further 19 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 27.
An estimated 58,148 residents, roughly 28.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 17,897 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (38.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in New Hanover County
New Hanover County has 208 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 86 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 86
- 1 stop shop grocery, wilmington
- 17th st market, wilmington
- 7-eleven, inc. 42268h, wilmington
- aaa express, wilmington
- buy & go 6, wilmington
- buy quick, wilmington
- buy quick #9, wilmington
- carolina smoke & vape & carolina treasure bins llc, wilmington
- circle k 2704578, wilmington
- circle k 2704584, wilmington
- circle k 2709202, wilmington
- circle k 2720437, wilmington
- circle k 2720444, castle hayne
- circle k 2720450, wilmington
- circle k 2720464, wilmington
- circle k 2720858, wilmington
- circle k 2720915, castle hayne
- circle k 2723151, wilmington
- dawson food market, wilmington
- ez mart 1, wilmington
- flowers bakery outlet 670, wilmington
- golden road family fare 268, wilmington
- greenfield mini market llc, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 27, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 26, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 28, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 29, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 30, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 31, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 32, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 34, wilmington
- han-dee hugo's 35, wilmington
- in & out mart, wilmington
- islander kwik mart, kure beach
- la chiquita mini mart #2 llc, wilmington
- los tres hermanos tienda mexicana llc, castle hayne
- lucky stop 2 2, castle hayne
- m & m food mart, wilmington
- mr. tobacco of wilmington, wilmington
- mj pitt stop inc, wilmington
- monkey market, wilmington
- murphy usa 6624, wilmington
- murphy usa 6786, wilmington
- northside food market, wilmington
- nixon st mini mart, wilmington
- pmg pm 780, wilmington
- pmg pm 781, wilmington
- porters neck 104, wilmington
- prince mini mart, wilmington
- riley's convenient mart 0, wilmington
- russells quick stop, wilmington
- safeway food mart, wilmington
- sams food mart, wilmington
- scotchman 3022, carolina beach
- scotchman 3083, wilmington
- scotchman 3096, wilmington
- scotchman 3107, wilmington
- scotchman 3119, carolina beach
- scotchman 3126, wilmington
- scotchman 3127, carolina beach
- scotchman 3129, wilmington
- scotchman 3145, wilmington
- scotchman 3180, wilmington
- scotchman 3181, wilmington
- scotchman 3182, wilmington
- scotchman 3230, wilmington
- scotchman 3262, wilmington
- scotchman 3303, wilmington
- scotchman 3323, wilmington
- scotchman 3324, wilmington
- scotchman 3326, wilmington
- sheetz 840, wilmington
- sheetz 878, wilmington
- sheetz 903, wilmington
- silver lake market, wilmington
- speedway 8184, wilmington
- speedway 8185, wilmington
- speedway 8186, wilmington
- speedway 8188, wilmington
- speedway 8191, wilmington
- third street family fare 428, wilmington
- tienda latina el paso, wilmington
- tienda mis amigos 2 llc, wilmington
- tienda mis amigos 2 llc, wilmington
- university mart, wilmington
- wildcat family fare 343, wilmington
Combination Grocery/Other · 52
- big lots 3227, wilmington
- biggers market 1, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 3594, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 3816, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 3822, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 3836, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 4298, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 4622, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 4846, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 5557, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 5760, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 7345, carolina beach
- cvs pharmacy 7350, castle hayne
- dollar general 14330, wilmington
- dollar general 1517, castle hayne
- dollar general 18831, wilmington
- dollar general 18991, wilmington
- dollar general 4388, wilmington
- dollar general 4688, wilmington
- dollar general 6971, wilmington
- dollar general 8519, carolina beach
- dollar general 9200, wilmington
- dollar general 9608, wilmington
- dollar tree 0155, wilmington
- dollar tree 2082, wilmington
- dollartree 10313, wilmington
- dollartree 11035, wilmington
- dollartree 9166, wilmington
- dollar general 15099, wilmington
- dollar general 19883, wilmington
- dollar general 22483, wilmington
- dollar general 23699, wilmington
- dollar general 24106, wilmington
- dollar tree 4270, wilmington
- dollar tree 5957, wilmington
- dollar tree 7599, wilmington
- dollar tree 7675, wilmington
- dollar tree 7887, wilmington
- family dollar 5548, wilmington
- family dollar store 10446, wilmington
- los portales mexican gro store, wilmington
- los portales supermarket, wilmington
- roses 338, wilmington
- walgreens 01560, wilmington
- walgreens 06951, wilmington
- walgreens 07919, wilmington
- walgreens 07981, carolina beach
- walgreens 09931, wilmington
- walgreens 11524, wilmington
- walgreens 11550, wilmington
- walgreens 12853, wilmington
- walgreens 1319, wilmington
Supermarket · 25
- aldi 80053, wilmington
- aldi 80098, wilmington
- eagle island fruit and seafood, wilmington
- food lion 1041, wilmington
- food lion 1193, wilmington
- food lion 1212, wilmington
- food lion 1327, wilmington
- food lion 1392, wilmington
- food lion 1404, wilmington
- food lion 1406, wilmington
- food lion 221, wilmington
- food lion 2553, carolina beach
- food lion 742, wilmington
- food lion 909, wilmington
- food lion 1388, wilmington
- fresh foods 10, castle hayne
- lowes food store 198, wilmington
- lowes food store 199, wilmington
- lowes foods store 215, wilmington
- publix 1516, wilmington
- publix north carolina lp 1580, wilmington
- publix north carolina, lp 1677, carolina beach
- tidal creek foods inc, wilmington
- the fresh market 080, wilmington
- trader joe's 747, wilmington
Super Store · 17
- costco wholesale 0635, wilmington
- harris teeter 158, wilmington
- harris teeter 162, wilmington
- harris teeter 191, wilmington
- harris teeter 210, wilmington
- harris teeter 441, wilmington
- harris teeter 096, wilmington
- harris teeter 264, wilmington
- harris teeter 301, wilmington
- lidl 1080, wilmington
- lidl 1412, wilmington
- sam's club 8129, wilmington
- target store t-1107, wilmington
- walmart s/c 1348, wilmington
- walmart supercenter 1392, wilmington
- walmart supercenter 4065, wilmington
- whole foods market 10453, wilmington
Seafood Specialty · 9
- blackburn bros. seafood, carolina beach
- castle street fish market d/b/a howards seafood, wilmington
- east coast seafood, wilmington
- princess seafood, l.l.c., wilmington
- seaview crab company, wilmington
- seaview crab company 2, wilmington
- seaview crab company- castle hayne, wilmington
- seaview crab company- market street, wilmington
- zora's seafood market, wilmington
Small Grocery Store · 6
- african caribbean market and more, wilmington
- bodega brasil mini market inc, wilmington
- la masica minimarket, llc, wilmington
- la tienda el mercadito, wilmington
- mi pueblito mini market, wilmington
- tortilleria ebenezer, wilmington
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- cb seafood & market, wilmington
- el guero fresh market, wilmington
- la huerta fresh produce, wilmington
- new saigon international market, wilmington
- sam's superette, inc., wilmington
Bakery Specialty · 3
- papa murphy's pizza nc005, wilmington
- papa murphy's pizza nc018, wilmington
- papa murphy's pizza nc058, wilmington
Farmers' Market · 2
- frankie's outdoor market, wilmington
- the wilmington farmers market, wilmington
Large Grocery Store · 2
- asian life market, wilmington
- loveys natural foods & cafe, wilmington
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- america's choice gourmet, wilmington
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare New Hanover County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
New Hanover County sits inside North Carolina (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 Hanover County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in New Hanover County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in New Hanover County? ▼
Is New Hanover County a food desert? ▼
What share of New Hanover 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.