Signature · 38.9% low-access (86th pct)
Onslow County, NC
Onslow County sits in the upper national band on low-access (38.9%, +16.8 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 38.9%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 12.1%
- on SNAP
- 208K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Onslow County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 38.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +16.8 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 8 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 26% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Union County (+ 0.4 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Onslow County sits in the upper national band (38.9%, #443 of 3,079) with 8 LILA tracts.
- #443
- national by low-access %
- #5
- in NC
- 18
- low-access tracts
- 26K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 38.9% low-access (86th pct) (+16.8 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Onslow County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Onslow County's 38.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #444 most-affected nationwide.
Onslow County's elevated USDA tier split
31 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 8 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Onslow County has 21 urban and 10 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Onslow County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Forsyth
Forsyth 40.9%
40.9 % low-access
- Union
Union 39.3%
39.3 % low-access
- Onslow
Onslow 38.9%
38.9 % low-access
- Dare
Dare 35.6%
35.6 % low-access
- Caldwell
Caldwell 35.1%
35.1 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 31 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 177,772 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 18 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 69,209 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 25,795 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 207,906 |
| Median Household Income | $68,148 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,138 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 10.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Onslow County
Onslow County has 138 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 57 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 57
- big als country mart, maple hill
- blue creek mini mart, jacksonville
- boost up jv llc, richlands
- bp, jacksonville
- circle k store 8221, jacksonville
- carniceria el dorado, jacksonville
- circle k 2704488, holly ridge
- circle k 2704577, jacksonville
- circle k 2704589, jacksonville
- circle k 2706623, jacksonville
- circle k 2709205, jacksonville
- circle k 2720825, jacksonville
- circle k 2720930, jacksonville
- circle k 2723075, jacksonville
- circle k 2723126, midway park
- circle k store 8216, jacksonville
- dempseys kwik mart, jacksonville
- flowers bakery outlet 410, jacksonville
- hoffmans grocery, richlands
- han-dee hugo's 33, jacksonville
- handy mart 4707, sneads ferry
- handy mart 4709, jacksonville
- handy mart 4712, jacksonville
- handy mart 4715, jacksonville
- handy mart 4716, swansboro
- handy mart 4729, jacksonville
- handy mart 4731, jacksonville
- handy mart 4734, jacksonville
- j & n grocery, richlands
- marine whizz mart 4, jacksonville
- minuteman food mart 215, surf city
- minuteman food mart 222, jacksonville
- minuteman food mart 224, jacksonville
- minuteman food mart 44, hubert
- murphy express 8569, jacksonville
- murphy usa 7881, jacksonville
- one stop shop, jacksonville
- reada mini mart, midway park
- reid's mini market, hubert
- scotchman 3045, richlands
- scotchman 3139, hubert
- scotchman 3149, holly ridge
- speedway 7941, jacksonville
- speedway 7945, swansboro
- speedway 7952, richlands
- speedway 7954, richlands
- speedway 8181, jacksonville
- speedway 8182, jacksonville
- speedway 8226, jacksonville
- speedway 8289, jacksonville
- speedway 8657, sneads ferry
- speedway 8659, holly ridge
- verona quick mart 0, jacksonville
- wawa store 6107, jacksonville
- western mart, jacksonville
- whizz mart gum branch 1, jacksonville
- wili's mini mart, midway park
Combination Grocery/Other · 42
- cvs pharmacy 5585, jacksonville
- cvs pharmacy 5594, jacksonville
- cvs pharmacy 7550, sneads ferry
- cvs/pharmacy 11349, swansboro
- dollar general 0869, swansboro
- dollar general 1832, jacksonville
- dollar general 4395, jacksonville
- dollar general 4396, jacksonville
- dollar general 6719, hubert
- dollar general 6866, richlands
- dollar general 9033, sneads ferry
- dollar tree 2531, jacksonville
- dollartree 9612, jacksonville
- dollar general 15720, jacksonville
- dollar general 16912, holly ridge
- dollar general 17727, sneads ferry
- dollar general 17839, peletier
- dollar general 20173, hubert
- dollar general 21116, holly ridge
- dollar general 24562, jacksonville
- dollar general 24974, midway park
- dollar general 25111, jacksonville
- dollar general 30588, jacksonville
- dollar general 3869, jacksonville
- dollar tree 291, jacksonville
- dollar tree 4906, jacksonville
- dollar tree 5359, sneads ferry
- dollar tree 6347, swansboro
- dollar tree 7827, richlands
- family dollar 11669, jacksonville
- family dollar 11872, jacksonville
- family dollar 3526, jacksonville
- family dollar 8764, jacksonville
- family dollar store 10479, hubert
- family dollar store 342, jacksonville
- mynichi services, inc., jacksonville
- oriental market, jacksonville
- roses 213, jacksonville
- walgreen 09348, jacksonville
- walgreens 07748, jacksonville
- walgreens 10436, swansboro
- walgreens 12133, jacksonville
Supermarket · 16
- aldi 80020, jacksonville
- aldi 80054, jacksonville
- food lion 1275, richlands
- food lion 146, jacksonville
- food lion 1494, jacksonville
- food lion 1495, jacksonville
- food lion 167, jacksonville
- food lion 349, jacksonville
- food lion 401, sneads ferry
- food lion 683, swansboro
- food lion 775, jacksonville
- lowes food store 181, cape carteret
- lowes foods 260, jacksonville
- piggly wiggly 21, jacksonville
- piggly wiggly 22, maysville
- publix north carolina 1660, jacksonville
Super Store · 9
- piggly wiggly 46, swansboro
- piggly wiggly 57, richlands
- sam's club 6573, jacksonville
- target store 1226, jacksonville
- walmart neighborhood market 7137, jacksonville
- walmart supercenter 1298, jacksonville
- walmart supercenter 3864, jacksonville
- walmart supercenter 7009, richlands
- walmart supercenter 7179, swansboro
Seafood Specialty · 5
- bright's seafood, jacksonville
- midgett & sons crab company, sneads ferry
- phillips seafood, swansboro
- seafood center, jacksonville
- southern breeze seafood, jacksonville
Small Grocery Store · 3
- asian market llc corporation 1, jacksonville
- la superior hispanic store, richlands
- we mehm asian market, jacksonville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- riggs pork market #1, maysville
- richlands cajun market, richlands
Military Commissary · 2
- camp lejeune mcb commissary 2902, camp lejeune
- new river mcas commissary 2920, jacksonville
Farmers' Market · 1
- onslow county farmers market, jacksonville
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- double r farm market, maple hill
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 Onslow County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Onslow County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Onslow 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 (38.9% here).
- Redwood County, MN · 38.9% low-access
- Redwood County, MN · 38.9% low-access
- Blue Earth County, MN · 38.9% low-access
- Blue Earth County, MN · 38.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (12.1% here).
- Washington County, NY · 12.1% SNAP
- Washington County, NY · 12.1% SNAP
- Steuben County, NY · 12.1% SNAP
- Steuben County, NY · 12.1% 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.
Onslow County inside a higher low-access state context
Onslow County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Onslow County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37133. 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.