Signature · 1.2% low-access (4th pct)
Northampton County, NC
Northampton County lands in the lower national band on low-access (1.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 1.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 26.4%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Northampton County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 1.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -20.9 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 26.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 7.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Yancey County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Northampton County lands in the lower national band (1.2%, #2,998 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,998
- national by low-access %
- #96
- in NC
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 103
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 1.2% low-access (4th pct) (-20.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Northampton County compares nationally
Food access in Northampton County compares favorably nationally: its 1.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 4% of them (rank #2,998).
Northampton County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Northampton County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Northampton County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Currituck 1.5
Currituck 1.5%
1.5 % low-access
- Washington 1.4
Washington 1.4%
1.4 % low-access
- Northampton 1.2
Northampton 1.2%
1.2 % low-access
- Yancey 1.2
Yancey 1.2%
1.2 % low-access
- Avery 0.3
Avery 0.3%
0.3 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 22,099 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 256 |
| Low-Access Share | 1.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 103 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,931 |
| Median Household Income | $50,086 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,078 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 26.4%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Northampton County
Northampton County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 11 locations (42% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
8 towns share the 26 authorized stores; Rich Square holds 19% of them. 4 of the 8 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Gaston, Woodland, Pleasant Hill, Seaboard.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Rich Square | 5 | 1 |
| Gaston | 4 | none |
| Woodland | 4 | none |
| Conway | 3 | 1 |
| Garysburg | 3 | 1 |
| Jackson | 3 | 1 |
| Pleasant Hill | 2 | none |
| Seaboard | 2 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- big john's store, pleasant hill
- dollar general 18668, seaboard
- dollar general 9403, gaston
- dollar general 10445, garysburg
- dollar general 15924, woodland
- dollar general 20310, gaston
- dollar general 24306, conway
- dollar general 9879, rich square
- family dollar 10404, conway
- family dollar 11971, gaston
- family dollar store 6871, jackson
Convenience Store · 11
- cuz mini mart, garysburg
- duck thru food store 37, woodland
- duck thru food store 38, rich square
- duck thru food store 42, seaboard
- duck thru food store 7, rich square
- new dixie mart 223 223, gaston
- pilot travel center 58, pleasant hill
- right way, woodland
- salamis, woodland
- speedway 8655, jackson
- the right stop, rich square
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- conway c store inc, conway
- country sprouts inc., garysburg
Large Grocery Store · 1
- jackson food fresh, jackson
Supermarket · 1
- rich square market, rich square
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Northampton County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Northampton County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Northampton County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (1.2% here).
- Lewis County, KY · 1.2% low-access
- Philadelphia County, PA · 1.1% low-access
- Middlesex County, VA · 1.1% low-access
- Perry County, KY · 1.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (26.4% here).
- Allen Parish, LA · 26.5% SNAP
- Harlan County, KY · 26.5% SNAP
- Saline County, IL · 26.2% SNAP
- Early County, GA · 26.2% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). Northampton County, at 1.2%, runs 21.7 pts below the North Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Northampton County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37131. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.