County food-access profile · Georgia
Newton County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Newton 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).
- 33.6%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 13.6%
- on SNAP
- 118K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
33.6% of Newton County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 3.4%
- 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 Newton County's low-access share at 33.6%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 33,596 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,360 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 Newton County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Newton County's 33.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #702 most-affected nationwide.
Newton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Newton County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Newton County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Newton
Newton County, GA
33.6 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 99,958 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 33,596 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,360 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 118,152 |
| Median Household Income | $77,179 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,614 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 13.6% of Newton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 33.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,614 households here.
- 3.4% 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 Newton County
above the national share
8 of Newton County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 61.5% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.
An estimated 33,596 residents, roughly 33.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,360 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (30.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Newton County
Newton County has 85 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 46
- 2117 emory mart, covington
- a-one food mart, covington
- ap food mart, covington
- almon food mart, covington
- bonds bp, covington
- bp food mart, covington
- c&ds eats & grocers, covingtion
- covington food mart, covington
- covington food mart, covington
- covington raceway, covington
- crowell road liberty, covington
- fast trip, covington
- get n go, covington
- jj quick stop, covington
- jp covington 267, social circle
- jp potts 283, covington
- jupiterfoodmart, covington
- kwickie/flash foods 249, covington
- liberty food mart, covington
- liberty food mart 2, covington
- magnet shell, covington
- marathon food mart, covington
- marathon quickspot, covington
- marium llc, covington
- murphy usa 7572, covington
- neighbors market, covington
- north fork chevron, oxford
- oak hills bp, covington
- parin inc, covington
- pure food mart, covington
- quik trip 798, covington
- quick stop, newborn
- quiktrip 1739, covington
- quiktrip 821, covington
- rocky plains grocery, covington
- salem food mart, covington
- salem quick stop, covington
- shell food mart, covington
- shell food mart, covington
- shell food mart, covington
- shell porterdale inc, porterdale
- sm pony express inc, covington
- texaco food mart, oxford
- turner lake marathon, covington
- united brownbridge inc, covington
- walnut bp, covington
Combination Grocery/Other · 20
- big lots 3328, covington
- cvs pharmacy 1359, covington
- cvs pharmacy 4695, covington
- cvs pharmacy 8418, covington
- cvs pharmacy 8419, covington
- dollar general 0085, covington
- dollar general 11172, covington
- dollar general 13026, newborn
- dollar general 4808, covington
- dollar general 7057, covington
- dollar tree 391, covington
- dollar general 11417, covington
- dollar general 12855, oxford
- dollar general 16153, covington
- dollar general 16476, covington
- dollar general 24937, covington
- dollar general 8323, covington
- family dollar 11714, covington
- family dollar 7979, porterdale
- walgreens 13760, covington
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 71031 71031, covington
- bell's discount grocs, covington
- food depot 44, covington
- ingles markets 439, covington
- ingles markets 452, covington
- publix 0744, covington
- publix super markets, inc. 1811, covington
Super Store · 5
- kroger 214, covington
- kroger 436, covington
- kroger 621, covington
- walmart 4558, covington
- walmart 459, covington
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- selam farm 1, covington
- the meat house, covington
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- henderson's, covington
- la tampiquena, covington
Small Grocery Store · 2
- happy produce caribbean market, covington
- utopian mini mart, covington
Seafood Specialty · 1
- g & m fish & variety, covington
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Newton County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Newton County sits inside Georgia (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 Newton County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Newton County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Newton County? ▼
Is Newton County a food desert? ▼
What share of Newton 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.