PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · West Virginia

Nicholas County, WV

Nicholas County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

8.4%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
19.3%
on SNAP
24K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WV

The food-access picture

8.4% of Nicholas County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.8%
households, no vehicle
15.4%
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).

Nicholas County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.4% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,206 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,042 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 Nicholas County compares nationally

Nicholas County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.4% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,614).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Nicholas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Nicholas 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 Nicholas County, WV USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (71.4%) 1 tracts limited (14.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 71% Limited 14% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Nicholas County, WV
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Nicholas County vs. other West Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia

% 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 Nicholas County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)26,233
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,206
Low-Access Share8.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,042

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Nicholas County
IndicatorValue
Population24,277
Median Household Income$54,639
Poverty Rate15.4%near the national average
SNAP Households1,829
SNAP Participation Rate19.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.6%
SNAP participation in Nicholas County 19.3%

About 19.3% of Nicholas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,829 households here.
  • 6.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Nicholas County

near the national share

1 of Nicholas County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 2,206 residents, roughly 8.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,042 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Nicholas County

Nicholas County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • go mart 120, summersville
  • go mart 19, craigsville
  • go mart 42, nettie
  • go mart 51, mount nebo
  • go mart 53, birch river
  • go mart 6, summersville
  • go mart 9, richwood
  • go mart 95, summersville
  • little general 2440, calvin
  • little general 2450, summersville
  • little general 2455, birch river
  • little general store 8000, mt. nebo
  • little general store 8005, craigsville
  • little general store 8010, summersville
  • little general store 8015, canvas
  • little general store 8020, richwood
  • mountaineer mart 142, summersville
  • mountaineer mart 143, richwood
  • par mar store 155, summersville
  • par mar store 223, drennen
  • sheetz 443, summersville
  • u save food store 5, mount nebo
  • u save food stores inc 1, richwood

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • cvs pharmacy 4167, summersville
  • dollar general 1463, craigsville
  • dollar general 17732, dixie
  • dollar general 17855, birch river
  • dollar general 18064, richwood
  • dollar general 23283, mount lookout
  • dollar general 24194, craigsville
  • dollar general 24452, nettie
  • dollar general 24632, summersville
  • dollar general 930, summersville
  • dollar general store 16963, mount nebo
  • dollar tree 512, summersville
  • family dollar store 446, summersville
  • family dollar store 727, craigsville
  • fresh start market co llc, summersville
  • the vine, summersville
  • walgreens 19990, craigsville

Supermarket · 3

  • food lion 1174, summersville
  • save-a-lot 247, summersville
  • waco foods, llc, craigsville

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • donaldsons bloomingland greenhouse, richwood

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • jackson's meat shop, summersville

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 1477, summersville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in West Virginia

Barbour County
11.4% low-access · 19.5% SNAP
Berkeley County
38.8% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Boone County
6.6% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Braxton County
18.3% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Brooke County
16.9% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Cabell County
8.3% low-access · 16.7% SNAP

Compare Nicholas County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, West Virginia in context

Nicholas County sits inside West Virginia (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 Nicholas County has low food access? ▼
8.4% of residents in Nicholas County, WV 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 Nicholas County? ▼
19.3% of households in Nicholas County receive SNAP, covering 1,829 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Nicholas County? ▼
The poverty rate in Nicholas County, WV is 15.4%, with a median household income of $54,639 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Nicholas County a food desert? ▼
1 of Nicholas County's 7 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 Nicholas County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.8% of households in Nicholas 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.