County food-access profile · Texas

Newton County, TX

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).

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

32.5%
low-access pop.: 4
food-desert tracts: 14.2%
on SNAP: 12K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

32.5% of Newton County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts: 2K
food-desert residents: 6.9%
households, no vehicle: 19.0%
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 32.5%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 4 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 4,689 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,041 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 32.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #778 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Newton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 4 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).

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Newton

32.5
Anderson

43.8
Andrews

26.8
Angelina

26
Aransas

31.7
Archer

18.3

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Newton County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	4
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	14,445
Low-Access Tracts	4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	4
Low-Access Population	4,689
Low-Access Share	32.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	2,041

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Newton County
Indicator	Value
Population	12,093
Median Household Income	$42,618
Poverty Rate	19.0%above the national average
SNAP Households	687
SNAP Participation Rate	14.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	6.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	1.2%

SNAP participation in Newton County 14.2%

About 14.2% of Newton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

32.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
14.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 687 households here.
6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
4 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

4 of Newton County's 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 100.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 4,689 residents, roughly 32.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,041 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

SNAP retailers in Newton County

Newton County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 4

dee's one stop 1, call
quick track 125, newton
sunshine groceries & gas, newton
sunshine grocery, bon wier

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

dollar general 0837, newton
family dollar 8951, newton
family dollar store 10871, burkeville

Super Store · 1

brookshire brothers 14, newton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County

43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP

Andrews County

26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP

Angelina County

26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP

Aransas County

31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP

Archer County

18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP

Armstrong County

99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Newton County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Newton County sits inside Texas (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? ▼

32.5% of residents in Newton County, TX 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 Newton County? ▼

14.2% of households in Newton County receive SNAP, covering 687 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Newton County? ▼

The poverty rate in Newton County, TX is 19.0%, with a median household income of $42,618 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Newton County a food desert? ▼

4 of Newton County's 4 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 Newton County households lack a vehicle? ▼

6.9% of households in Newton 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 2026-06-23 (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.