County food-access profile · Texas
Nueces County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Nueces 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).
- 33.2%
- low-access pop.
- 16
- food-desert tracts
- 17.5%
- on SNAP
- 353K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
33.2% of Nueces County residents live in a low-access area, and 16 of its 81 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 40
- low-access tracts
- 34K
- food-desert residents
- 6.9%
- 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 Nueces County's low-access share at 33.2%, above the national share. 40 of the county's 81 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 113,043 people. 16 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 33,739 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 Nueces County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Nueces County's 33.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #728 most-affected nationwide.
Nueces County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 81 census tracts in Nueces County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Nueces County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Nueces
Nueces County, TX
33.2 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 81 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 340,223 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 40 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 16 |
| Low-Access Population | 113,043 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 33,739 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 352,955 |
| Median Household Income | $66,897 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 22,892 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
About 17.5% of Nueces County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 33.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 22,892 households here.
- 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 16 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 Nueces County
above the national share
16 of Nueces County's 81 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.8% of all its tracts.
A further 24 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 40.
An estimated 113,043 residents, roughly 33.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 33,739 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 41 tracts (50.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Nueces County
Nueces County has 294 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 177 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 177
- 7-eleven 36535h, corpus christi
- 7-eleven 36536h, corpus christi
- 7-eleven 40865, corpus christi
- 7-eleven 41980h, corpus christi
- 7-eleven store 40821h, corpus christi
- 7-eleven store 40849h, corpus christi
- 7-eleven, inc. 42203h, corpus christi
- a & j convenience store 1, corpus christi
- a2z 1, corpus christi
- ak & ss enterprise llc, corpus christi
- an's market, corpus christi
- ace mart #1, corpus christi
- an's market #3, corpus christi
- asia market 1, corpus christi
- big diamond inc 274971, corpus christi
- baldwin food mart, corpus christi
- bang's food mart, corpus christi
- banquete food mart, banquete
- beachside market, corpus christi
- bens community market, corpus christi
- circle k 2706982, corpus christi
- calallen food mart, corpus christi
- checkout 51, corpus christi
- checkout 52, corpus christi
- checkout 55, corpus christi
- checkout 56, corpus christi
- checkout 57, corpus christi
- checkout 58, corpus christi
- circle k 1849, corpus christi
- circle k 2706970, corpus christi
- circle k 2706971, corpus christi
- circle k 2706973, corpus christi
- circle k 2706978, corpus christi
- circle k 2706987, corpus christi
- circle k 2740130, corpus christi
- circle k 2740135, corpus christi
- circle k 2740430, corpus christi
- circle k 2740432, corpus christi
- circle k 2740974, corpus christi
- circle k 2741501, corpus christi
- circle k 2741502, corpus christi
- circle k 2741508, corpus christi
- circle k 2741830, corpus christi
- circle k 2741848, corpus christi
- circle k 4444104, corpus christi
- coastal convenience store, corpus christi
- corner store 274145, robstown
- cuba market llc 804803612, corpus christi
- fast market 4564, corpus christi
- fast market 4565, corpus christi
- fast market 4566, corpus christi
- flowers bakery outlet 273, corpus christi
- gb stop 01, corpus christi
- hi-ho, corpus christi
- holly food mart, corpus christi
- j & s convenience store, corpus christi
- john's market, corpus christi
- k's market, corpus christi
- k-2 food mart, robstown
- k-store, corpus christi
- lalos mini mart, agua dulce
- less & more mart, corpus christi
- less & more mart 3, corpus christi
- lj mart, corpus christi
- lone star market #2, corpus christi
- lopez handy stop, robstown
- lopez mini mart, robstown
- lucky lotto & food mart, corpus christi
- main food mart, robstown
- matiana mini mrt, robstown
- ms express, corpus christi
- murphy express 8691, corpus christi
- murphy express 8793, corpus christi
- murphy usa 7627, corpus christi
- murphy usa 7628, corpus christi
- new c k mart, corpus christi
- nile star market, corpus christi
- norton food mart, corpus christi
- nu way, corpus christi
- one market, corpus christi
- one stop market, corpus christi
- one stop market 2, corpus christi
- one stop market 3, corpus christi
- pmi # 2, corpus christi
- pmi #7, corpus christi
- park & buy, corpus christi
- park & buy 2, corpus christi
- pena brother's grocery, banquete
- pittman's quick mart, corpus christi
- pmi 1, corpus christi
- prime meat market & groceries, corpus christi
- pump n shop, corpus christi
- q market, corpus christi
- quick food mart, corpus christi
- roadrunner travel center, robstown
- stripes 17545, corpus christi
- stripes 17816, corpus christi
- stripes 17985, corpus christi
- stripes 18374, corpus christi
- stripes 18569, corpus christi
- stripes 19189, corpus christi
- stripes 19952, corpus christi
- stripes 20468, corpus christi
- stripes 21019, robstown
- stripes 21134, corpus christi
- stripes 24252, corpus christi
- stripes 25247, corpus christi
- stripes 40126, corpus christi
- stripes 40284, corpus christi
- stripes 40789, port aransas
- stripes 40793, port aransas
- stripes 40798, port aransas
- stripes 40808, corpus christi
- stripes 40817, driscoll
- stripes 40818, bishop
- stripes 40820h, corpus christi
- stripes 40822, corpus christi
- stripes 40823h, corpus christi
- stripes 40825, corpus christi
- stripes 40827, corpus christi
- stripes 40828, corpus christi
- stripes 40829, corpus christi
- stripes 40830h, corpus christi
- stripes 40831, corpus christi
- stripes 40832, corpus christi
- stripes 40833, corpus christi
- stripes 40834, corpus christi
- stripes 40835, corpus christi
- stripes 40836, corpus christi
- stripes 40838, corpus christi
- stripes 40839, corpus christi
- stripes 40841, corpus christi
- stripes 40846, corpus christi
- stripes 40848, corpus christi
- stripes 40850h, corpus christi
- stripes 40852, corpus christi
- stripes 40854, corpus christi
- stripes 40855, corpus christi
- stripes 40856, robstown
- stripes 40858, corpus christi
- stripes 40859, corpus christi
- stripes 40860h, corpus christi
- stripes 40861, corpus christi
- stripes 40862, corpus christi
- stripes 40863, corpus christi
- stripes 40866, corpus christi
- stripes 40867, corpus christi
- stripes 40868, corpus christi
- stripes 40869, corpus christi
- stripes 40870, corpus christi
- stripes 40871, corpus christi
- stripes 40872, corpus christi
- stripes 40874, corpus christi
- stripes 40875, corpus christi
- stripes 40876, corpus christi
- staples corner store llc, corpus christi
- stop n shop bishop, bishop
- stripes 40837h, corpus christi
- stripes 42359h, corpus christi
- stripes no. 2114, port aransas
- stripes no. 5216 5216, corpus christi
- stripes store 42002h, corpus christi
- stripes store 42009h, corpus christi
- times market # 17, corpus christi
- times market #111, robstown
- times market #153, corpus christi
- the ayers market, corpus christi
- times market #21, corpus christi
- times market 121, corpus christi
- times market 35, corpus christi
- times market 95, corpus christi
- times market brownlee, corpus christi
- timesmarket888 no, corpus christi
- town market, corpus christi
- welcome food mart, corpus christi
- xpress burgers, corpus christi
- yorktown express 1, corpus christi
Combination Grocery/Other · 73
- cvs pharmacy inc 6991, corpus christi
- cvs pharmacy inc 6992, corpus christi
- cvs pharmacy inc 7401, corpus christi
- cvs pharmacy inc 7471, corpus christi
- cvs pharmcy inc 7004, corpus christi
- cvs pharmacy 10262, corpus christi
- cvs pharmacy 10268, port aransas
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 2580, corpus christi
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7080, robstown
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7437, corpus christi
- cvs/pharmacy inc 2328, corpus christi
- dollar general 10448, corpus christi
- dollar general 10578, bishop
- dollar general 10665, corpus christi
- dollar general 13740, corpus christi
- dollar general 1778, robstown
- dollar general 18274, robstown
- dollar general 18721, agua dulce
- dollar general 22047, corpus christi
- dollar general 3202, corpus christi
- dollar general 3411, corpus christi
- dollar general 7034, corpus christi
- dollar general 7280, corpus christi
- dollar general 9083, robstown
- dollartree 10161, corpus christi
- dollartree 11065, corpus christi
- dollartree 9625, corpus christi
- dollartree plus 8818, robstown
- dollar general 10634, corpus christi
- dollar general 11377, corpus christi
- dollar general 11414, corpus christi
- dollar general 12983, corpus christi
- dollar general 16522, corpus christi
- dollar general 18925, corpus christi
- dollar general 19291, corpus christi
- dollar general 19805, port aransas
- dollar general 21109, robstown
- dollar general 22758, driscoll
- dollar general 23231, corpus christi
- dollar general 24391, corpus christi
- dollar general 25195, corpus christi
- dollar general 25928, corpus christi
- dollar general 4269, corpus christi
- dollar tree 1736, corpus christi
- dollar tree 2594, corpus christi
- dollar tree 2727, corpus christi
- dollar tree 3107, corpus christi
- dollar tree 3882, corpus christi
- dollar tree 4676, corpus christi
- dollar tree 5024, corpus christi
- dollar tree 7179, corpus christi
- dollar tree 7383, corpus christi
- dollar tree 7865, corpus christi
- family dollar 10053, corpus christi
- family dollar 12128, corpus christi
- family dollar 1770, corpus christi
- family dollar 3403, corpus christi
- family dollar 4001, corpus christi
- family dollar 5158, corpus christi
- family dollar 5159, corpus christi
- family dollar 5626, corpus christi
- family dollar 5748, robstown
- family dollar 6106, corpus christi
- family dollar 6530, corpus christi
- family dollar 6948, corpus christi
- family dollar store 4356, corpus christi
- pena meat mkt, corpus christi
- swadesi grocers, corpus christi
- walgreens 10449, corpus christi
- walgreens 03638, corpus christi
- walgreens 10945, corpus christi
- walgreens 15931, corpus christi
- walgreens 4424, corpus christi
Showing 250 of 294 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Nueces County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Nueces 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 Nueces County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Nueces County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Nueces County? ▼
Is Nueces County a food desert? ▼
What share of Nueces 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.