County food-access profile · South Carolina
Orangeburg County, SC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Orangeburg 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).
- 28.4%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 20.7%
- on SNAP
- 83K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.4% of Orangeburg County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 12K
- food-desert residents
- 9.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 22.4%
- 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 Orangeburg County's low-access share at 28.4%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 20 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 26,311 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 11,847 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 Orangeburg County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Orangeburg County's 28.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,059 most-affected nationwide.
Orangeburg County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 20 census tracts in Orangeburg County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Orangeburg County vs. other South Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Carolina
- Orangeburg
Orangeburg County, SC
28.4 % low-access
- Abbeville
Abbeville County, SC
20.4 % low-access
- Aiken
Aiken County, SC
29.1 % low-access
- Allendale 2.3
Allendale County, SC
2.3 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, SC
36.1 % low-access
- Bamberg
Bamberg County, SC
27.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 20 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 92,501 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 26,311 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,847 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 83,253 |
| Median Household Income | $45,675 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.4%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,856 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 20.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.0%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.5% |
About 20.7% of Orangeburg County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 20.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,856 households here.
- 9.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Orangeburg County
above the national share
8 of Orangeburg County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 26,311 residents, roughly 28.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 11,847 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Orangeburg County
Orangeburg County has 136 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 68 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 68
- 4 way of elloree, elloree
- 4 way stop, orangeburg
- 7-eleven 41376h, orangeburg
- bells marina & resort, eutawville
- branchville food mart, branchville
- brothers community store, holly hill
- circle k 5389, orangeburg
- coast chestnut street 36, orangeburg
- coast santee 30, santee
- corner pantry 121, orangeburg
- dd's food mart # 4, orangeburg
- dodge store 8703, orangeburg
- dollar deals, orangeburg
- edisto grocery, north
- edisto pantry & deli, orangeburg
- elloree country store, elloree
- ez stop, orangeburg
- ez trip #3 1, north
- ez trip 2, santee
- first stop, vance
- golden pantry 1, springfield
- holly hill mart, holly hill
- holly hill pantry, holly hill
- hot spot 1607, eutawville
- hot spot 3004, orangeburg
- loop mart 16, orangeburg
- los tres potrillos llc, orangeburg
- love' travel stops & country stores, inc 326, orangeburg
- murphy usa 6939, orangeburg
- nasa llc, orangeburg
- nouria 1688 neeses highway 882, orangeburg
- nouria 2083 st. matthews road 886, orangeburg
- nouria 2933 old #6 highway 890, santee
- nouria 3294 charlestown highway 876, orangeburg
- nouria 6004 bamberg road 888, cope
- nouria 7618 freedom road 875, branchville
- nouria 8909 old #6 highway 877, santee
- one love food mart, orangeburg
- palm pantry 10, north
- pic n pay, orangeburg
- pilot travel center 60, bowman
- qmart, orangeburg
- quick food mart, orangeburg
- quick lotto 7, orangeburg
- quick pantry #15, orangeburg
- quick pantry #21 21, orangeburg
- quick pantry #34, orangeburg
- quick pantry #5, orangeburg
- quick stop, holly hill
- quick store #1, orangeburg
- quick store #3, orangeburg
- quick store 1, orangeburg
- quickpantry #104, orangeburg
- quickpantry 35, orangeburg
- quickpantry3, bowman
- quickpantry37, orangeburg
- quiktrip 1181, orangeburg
- run by, cordova
- sai mart, orangeburg
- scotchman 3887, bowman
- short stop, orangeburg
- short trip #12, orangeburg
- shortys horizon, norway
- spinx 271, orangeburg
- stop n go, cordova
- swami101llc 2, north
- vance convenience store, vance
- xpress travel center, orangeburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 43
- cvs pharmacy 5386, holly hill
- cvs pharmacy 5531, orangeburg
- dollar general 0679, orangeburg
- dollar general 2376, elloree
- dollar general 4716, neeses
- dollar general 4866, santee
- dollar general 6101, branchville
- dollar general 6374, orangeburg
- dollar general 6558, bowman
- dollar tree 0827, orangeburg
- dollartree 9753, orangeburg
- dollartree plus 8817, santee
- dollar general 10431, eutawville
- dollar general 10462, orangeburg
- dollar general 12704, north
- dollar general 12880, orangeburg
- dollar general 12884, orangeburg
- dollar general 12910, springfield
- dollar general 12978, orangeburg
- dollar general 13572, orangeburg
- dollar general 15420, cordova
- dollar general 17030, orangeburg
- dollar general 22290, eutawville
- dollar general 22768, cameron
- dollar general 25124, santee
- dollar general 30984, orangeburg
- dollar tree 6470, orangeburg
- family dollar 11585, orangeburg
- family dollar 11661, norway
- family dollar 12053, elloree
- family dollar 12383, vance
- family dollar 12834, branchville
- family dollar 13217, bowman
- family dollar 366, orangeburg
- family dollar 6411, orangeburg
- family dollar 6703, orangeburg
- family dollar store 1666, north
- family dollar store 2494, santee
- family dollar store 6087, eutawville
- family dollar store 901, holly hill
- roses 176, orangeburg
- walgreen 07506, orangeburg
- walgreen 09879, orangeburg
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 32, orangeburg
- eutawville iga 689, eutawville
- elloree foods llc, elloree
- food lion 283, santee
- food lion 2857, orangeburg
- holly hill iga 682, holly hill
- piggly wiggly 297, holly hill
- santee iga 681, santee
Super Store · 7
- dollar general market 14099, holly hill
- lidl 1099, orangeburg
- piggly wiggly #116, neeses
- piggly wiggly #117, orangeburg
- piggly wiggly 179, orangeburg
- walmart 616, orangeburg
- walmart neighborhood market 3724, orangeburg
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- 5m farms llc, orangeburg
- b's deer processing and meat market, branchville
- demspey deer procressing and market 0, orangeburg
Farmers' Market · 2
- eutaw springs community farmers market, eutawville
- right choice fresh start farmer' market, orangeburg
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- everybody eats globally incorporated foundation, orangeburg
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- vance farmers market, vance
Large Grocery Store · 1
- orangeburg cash & carry, orangeburg
Seafood Specialty · 1
- orangeburg seafood market 1, orangeburg
Small Grocery Store · 1
- hunter's grocery, cordova
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in South Carolina
Compare Orangeburg County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, South Carolina in context
Orangeburg County sits inside South Carolina (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 Orangeburg County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Orangeburg County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Orangeburg County? ▼
Is Orangeburg County a food desert? ▼
What share of Orangeburg 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.