PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Obion County, TN

Most of Obion County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

6.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.6%
on SNAP
30K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

6.8% of Obion County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
934
food-desert residents
5.9%
households, no vehicle
18.6%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Obion County fares better than most: just 6.8% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 10 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,174 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 934 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 Obion County compares nationally

Food access in Obion County compares favorably nationally: its 6.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 13% of them (rank #2,716).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Obion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Obion 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 Obion County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (90.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (10.0%) Adequate 90% Limited 0% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Obion County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Obion County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Obion County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)31,807
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,174
Low-Access Share6.8%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population934

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Obion County
IndicatorValue
Population30,453
Median Household Income$54,613
Poverty Rate18.6%above the national average
SNAP Households1,957
SNAP Participation Rate15.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Obion County 15.6%

About 15.6% of Obion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.8% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,957 households here.
  • 5.9% 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 Obion County

below the national share

1 of Obion County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,174 residents, roughly 6.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 934 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (90.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Obion County

Obion County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • dollar general 1311, union city
  • dollar general 18978, union city
  • dollar general 18134, south fulton
  • dollar general 19982, hornbeak
  • dollar general 23546, union city
  • dollar general 25362, obion
  • dollar general 2946, troy
  • dollar general 30793, union city
  • dollar tree 373, union city
  • family dollar 13699, troy
  • hornbeak bestway 3267, hornbeak
  • little general 3262, obion
  • marathon 3255, union city
  • marathon 3257, troy
  • marathon 3261, kenton
  • shell 3222, union city
  • shell 3238, troy
  • walgreens 7983, union city

Convenience Store · 16

  • 3 j's food mart, union city
  • beehive market union city, union city
  • casey's general store 3618, union city
  • dawkins c-store, kenton
  • huck's 308, union city
  • kwik mart, union city
  • laquick stop 3, union city
  • little general, union city
  • maverick food mart, union city
  • murphy usa 7591, union city
  • pockets 110, union city
  • preuett's quik mart, union city
  • reelfoot marathon, union city
  • twin cities convenience store, south fulton
  • uptown north, union city
  • walton's kwik mart, samburg

Super Store · 2

  • e w james and sons 12, union city
  • walmart supercenter 675, union city

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • save-a-lot 23945, union city

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • meat shoppe, union city

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • la michoacan, union city

Supermarket · 1

  • e w james and sons 60, troy

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Obion County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Obion County sits inside Tennessee (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 Obion County has low food access? ▼
6.8% of residents in Obion County, TN 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 Obion County? ▼
15.6% of households in Obion County receive SNAP, covering 1,957 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Obion County? ▼
The poverty rate in Obion County, TN is 18.6%, with a median household income of $54,613 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Obion County a food desert? ▼
1 of Obion County's 10 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 Obion County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.9% of households in Obion 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.