County food-access profile · Georgia
Peach County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Peach 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).
- 28.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 18.8%
- on SNAP
- 29K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.1% of Peach County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.3%
- 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 Peach County's low-access share at 28.1%, above the national share. 1 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,777 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Peach County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Peach County's 28.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,079 most-affected nationwide.
Peach County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Peach County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Peach County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Peach
Peach County, GA
28.1 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 27,695 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,777 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,920 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,560 |
| Median Household Income | $71,293 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,989 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.0% |
About 18.8% of Peach County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,989 households here.
- 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $71,293 with a 17.3% poverty rate.
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 Peach County
above the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 7,777 residents, roughly 28.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,920 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Peach County
Peach County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (62% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- bobby's food mart, byron
- byron chevron, byron
- byron gas n go 081, byron
- circle k 2703142, centerville
- circle k 2703146, byron
- express 49, fort valley
- family food mart, fort valley
- fastrip, byron
- flash foods llc 274133, fort valley
- flash foods llc 274214, byron
- flash foods llc 274264, byron
- flash foods llc 2745110, fort valley
- grub n gas, byron
- highway haven food store, fort valley
- neighbors food mart, fort valley
- peach xpress, byron
- pilot travel center 267, byron
- r & r quick stop, fort valley
- r & r quick stop #2 01, fort valley
- raceway 917, byron
- vaak food mart, fort valley
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 4585, fort valley
- cvs pharmacy 5523, warner robins
- dollar general 4257, byron
- dollar general 13105, byron
- dollar general 16128, byron
- dollar general 22496, fort valley
- dollar tree 7137, byron
- dollar tree 7821, fort valley
- family dollar store 246, fort valley
Super Store · 2
- dollar general market 13604, fort valley
- freshway market, byron
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- el mercadito, fort valley
Supermarket · 1
- food depot 15, fort valley
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Peach County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Peach County sits inside Georgia (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 Peach County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Peach County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Peach County? ▼
Is Peach County a food desert? ▼
What share of Peach 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.