County food-access profile · North Carolina
Pasquotank County, NC
Pasquotank County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 17.8%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 17.6%
- on SNAP
- 41K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.8% of Pasquotank County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.0%
- 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).
Pasquotank County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.8% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,232 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,073 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 Pasquotank County compares nationally
Pasquotank County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.8% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,885).
Pasquotank County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Pasquotank County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Pasquotank County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Pasquotank
Pasquotank County, NC
17.8 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 40,661 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,232 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.8%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,073 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 40,834 |
| Median Household Income | $66,589 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,771 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.5% |
About 17.6% of Pasquotank County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,771 households here.
- 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Pasquotank County
near the national share
5 of Pasquotank County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 7,232 residents, roughly 17.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,073 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Pasquotank County
Pasquotank County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 22
- 7-eleven inc f 34134a, elizabeth city
- 7-eleven 20578a, elizabeth city
- circle d food amrt 9, elizabeth city
- dn foodmart & pure gas station, elizabeth city
- duck thru food store 34, elizabeth city
- elizabeth city family fare 233, elizabeth city
- han-dee hugo's 38, elizabeth city
- han-dee hugo's 16, elizabeth city
- hop in elizabeth city, elizabeth city
- hop-in citgo, elizabeth city
- mr.p's food mart, elizabeth city
- murphy usa 7417, elizabeth city
- olivet lakes mart, elizabeth city
- park n shop, elizabeth city
- s & a food corp, elizabeth city
- speedway 8243, elizabeth city
- speedway 8296, elizabeth city
- wawa store 6102, elizabeth city
- weeksville grocery, elizabeth city
- zoom, elizabeth city
- zoom in #1, elizabeth city
- zoom in #3, elizabeth city
Combination Grocery/Other · 14
- big lots 3180, elizabeth city
- cvs pharmacy 3620, elizabeth city
- dollar general 2786, elizabeth city
- dollar general 9374, elizabeth city
- dollartree 9279, elizabeth city
- dollar general 11410, elizabeth city
- dollar general 12463, elizabeth city
- dollar general store 17150, elizabeth city
- dollar tree 276, elizabeth city
- dollar tree 5800, elizabeth city
- family dollar 12832, elizabeth city
- family dollar store 100, elizabeth city
- my corner butcher, elizabeth city
- walgreens 10132, elizabeth city
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 80032, elizabeth city
- food lion 192, elizabeth city
- food lion 575, elizabeth city
- food lion 2238, elizabeth city
- food lion 2681, elizabeth city
Super Store · 1
- walmart 1527, elizabeth city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Pasquotank County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Pasquotank County sits inside North 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 Pasquotank County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pasquotank County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Pasquotank County? ▼
Is Pasquotank County a food desert? ▼
What share of Pasquotank 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.