PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Newberry County, SC

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Newberry 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.
2
food-desert tracts
12.8%
on SNAP
38K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

28.7% of Newberry County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
6.7%
households, no vehicle
17.4%
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 Newberry County's low-access share at 28.7%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,768 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,780 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 Newberry County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Newberry County's 28.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 67% of them and ranked #1,025 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Newberry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Newberry County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Newberry County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (50.0%) 2 tracts limited (25.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 25% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Newberry County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Newberry County vs. other South Carolina counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Carolina

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Newberry County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,508
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population10,768
Low-Access Share28.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,780

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Newberry County
IndicatorValue
Population38,435
Median Household Income$61,780
Poverty Rate17.4%above the national average
SNAP Households1,964
SNAP Participation Rate12.8%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.7%
SNAP participation in Newberry County 12.8%

About 12.8% of Newberry 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.
  • 12.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,964 households here.
  • 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Newberry County

above the national share

2 of Newberry County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 10,768 residents, roughly 28.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,780 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Newberry County

Newberry County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • 5th avenue, newberry
  • 7-eleven store 41332a 41332a, newberry
  • bajrang irmo 1 llc, pomaria
  • bowers bp, prosperity
  • bp on 34, newberry
  • circle k 2723441, prosperity
  • corner mart 17351, newberry
  • corner mart 17354, newberry
  • country corner, newberry
  • fast stop, newberry
  • horne's general store, chappells
  • love's travel stops & country stores, inc 396, newberry
  • mb's quick stop, newberry
  • murphy usa 6552, newberry
  • peace sc llc d.b.a - energy mart, newberry
  • pilot travel center 4580, prosperity
  • pops 780, newberry
  • quickway convinience store, newberry
  • scotchman 3811, whitmire
  • scotchman 3842, newberry
  • sligh's superette, prosperity
  • smittys country store, silverstreet
  • xpressmart newberry, newberry

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs pharmacy 3542, newberry
  • dollar general 3036, newberry
  • dollar general 6595, prosperity
  • dollar general 10303, newberry
  • dollar general 17937, chappells
  • dollar general 19875, newberry
  • dollar general 21594, pomaria
  • dollar general 30308, prosperity
  • dollar tree 1542, newberry
  • family dollar 49, newberry
  • family dollar 9069, newberry

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • hillside sausage company, newberry
  • the palms meat & seafood market, newberry

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 73, newberry
  • food lion 2848, prosperity

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • mike's produce, newberry

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • joe's market, whitmire

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • la oaxaquena, newberry

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 624, newberry

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Newberry County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Newberry County sits inside South Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Newberry County has low food access? ▼
28.7% of residents in Newberry County, SC live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Newberry County? ▼
12.8% of households in Newberry County receive SNAP, covering 1,964 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Newberry County? ▼
The poverty rate in Newberry County, SC is 17.4%, with a median household income of $61,780 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Newberry County a food desert? ▼
2 of Newberry County's 8 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Newberry County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.7% of households in Newberry County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.