PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Orange County, VA

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).

33.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
7.6%
on SNAP
38K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

33.8% of Orange County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.3%
households, no vehicle
9.8%
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 33.8%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,310 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,332 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 33.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #687 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Orange County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 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).

Food access tier distribution for Orange County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (40.0%) 2 tracts limited (40.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 40% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Orange County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Orange County vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Orange County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,481
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population11,310
Low-Access Share33.8%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,332

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Orange County
IndicatorValue
Population37,822
Median Household Income$94,008
Poverty Rate9.8%below the national average
SNAP Households1,126
SNAP Participation Rate7.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Orange County 7.6%

About 7.6% of Orange County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,126 households here.
  • 4.3% 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 Orange County

above the national share

1 of Orange County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 11,310 residents, roughly 33.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,332 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Orange County

Orange County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 13 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs 7558, orange
  • cvs pharmacy 7594, locust grove
  • dollar general 14059, locust grove
  • dollartree 8863, zion crossrds
  • dollartree 9932, locust grove
  • dollar general 0434, orange
  • dollar general 0879, locust grove
  • dollar general 15947, unionville
  • dollar general 2472, orange
  • dollar general 30206, orange
  • dollar tree 6338, orange
  • family dollar store 2963, gordonsville
  • family dollar store 299, orange

Convenience Store · 11

  • 7-eleven inc 15548j, orange
  • 7-eleven 19321f 19321f, locust grove
  • 7-eleven 28599d 28599d, gordonsville
  • fas mart 3522, gordonsville
  • fas mart 3555, gordonsville
  • fas mart 3556, gordonsville
  • joe's kwik mart 8405, orange
  • murphy express 8741, locust grove (wilderness)
  • sheetz 285, orange
  • sheetz 323, locust grove
  • the market at locust grove 81, locust grove

Supermarket · 3

  • food lion 1298, gordonsville
  • food lion 1402, orange
  • food lion 973, locust grove

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • the garden patch, orange

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • la bendicion latino market llc, locust grove

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 5731, locust grove

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Orange County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Orange County sits inside Virginia (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 Orange County has low food access? ▼
33.8% of residents in Orange County, VA 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 Orange County? ▼
7.6% of households in Orange County receive SNAP, covering 1,126 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Orange County? ▼
The poverty rate in Orange County, VA is 9.8%, with a median household income of $94,008 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Orange County a food desert? ▼
1 of Orange County's 5 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 Orange County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.3% of households in Orange 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.