County food-access profile · Texas
Orange County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Orange 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).
- 32.0%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 13.7%
- on SNAP
- 85K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.0% of Orange County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
- 4.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.5%
- 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 Orange County's low-access share at 32.0%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 21 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 26,194 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,067 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 Orange County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Orange County's 32.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #813 most-affected nationwide.
Orange County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 21 census tracts in Orange County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Orange County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Orange
Orange County, TX
32 % 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 | 21 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 81,837 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 26,194 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.0%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,067 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 85,307 |
| Median Household Income | $72,104 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,455 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
About 13.7% of Orange County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,455 households here.
- 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Orange County
above the national share
4 of Orange County's 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.0% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 26,194 residents, roughly 32.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 8,067 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (47.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Orange County
Orange County has 97 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 48 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 48
- ali's corner, orange
- circle k 2740377, orange
- country pantry 11, vidor
- cypress mart, orange
- cypress plaza #3, orange
- cypress plaza 1, orange
- decent store, vidor
- exxpress mart 1, bridge city
- exxpress mart 21, orange
- fastline, orange
- food mart, orange
- fuel box, vidor
- get n go 2 1, orange
- huh grocer inc, vidor
- lakeview exxon, vidor
- m & s grocery, orange
- mauriceville fuel stop, orange
- murphy usa 7762, west orange
- on your way, vidor
- oxxo, vidor
- pakco 1, vidor
- pilot travel center 431, orange
- pilot travel center 735, orange
- pineforest fuel n/a, vidor
- pirate stop, vidor
- porky's #101, bridge city
- prime stop, vidor
- pump n shop 52, bridge city
- pump n shop 53, orange
- quick fuel, orange
- quick stop, west orange
- quiktrip 7944, orange
- raceway 6945, bridge city
- road ranger llc 312, vidor
- stop n drive #22, orange
- speedy stop 32, vidor
- star stop #3, orange
- star stop 12, orange
- star stop 2, vidor
- stars, orange
- stuckeys travel center orange, orange
- super 7, west orange
- super star, vidor
- super stop #22, deweyville
- texas country store #10, orange
- texas country store 2, orange
- valero corner store 274969, vidor
- zapco #3, orange
Combination Grocery/Other · 33
- cvs pharmacy inc 6374, orange
- cvs pharmacy inc 6381, orange
- cvs/ pharmacy 6491, vidor
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 851, bridge city
- dollar general 11471, bridge city
- dollar general 18839, orange
- dollar general 21733, orange
- dollar general 4330, orange
- dollar general 11492, orange
- dollar general 12122, orange
- dollar general 12697, vidor
- dollar general 13471, vidor
- dollar general 14785, orange
- dollar general 21166, west orange
- dollar general 21359, orange
- dollar general 21752, vidor
- dollar general 24645, vidor
- dollar general 25308, orange
- dollar general 30160, orange
- dollar general 30783, orange
- dollar general 5812, orange
- dollar tree 1193, orange
- dollar tree 5972, bridge city
- dollar tree 6480, vidor
- family dollar 12448, orange
- family dollar 13692, vidor
- family dollar 13775, orange
- family dollar 4969, orange
- family dollar 5258, vidor
- main street seafood, vidor
- walgreens 12355, bridge city
- walgreens 10139, vidor
- walgreens 3081, orange
Supermarket · 5
- heb 035, orange
- market basket 04, orange
- market basket 3, bridge city
- market basket 42, orange
- market basket 46, vidor
Super Store · 4
- kroger family center 950, orange
- walmart 283, bridge city
- walmart supercenter 777, west orange
- walmart supercenter 457, vidor
Large Grocery Store · 3
- danny's super food, west orange
- k-dan's super foods, orange
- k-dans grocery & deli, vidor
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- carniceria la vaquita, pinehurst
- robert's meat mkt 2, orange
Seafood Specialty · 1
- lom's seafood market, west orange
Small Grocery Store · 1
- mi cubanita, orange
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Orange County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Orange 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 Orange County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Orange County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Orange County? ▼
Is Orange County a food desert? ▼
What share of Orange 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.