PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Pender County, NC

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Pender 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).

23.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
11.8%
on SNAP
66K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

23.6% of Pender County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
3.2%
households, no vehicle
9.7%
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 Pender County's low-access share at 23.6%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 15 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,297 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,978 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 Pender County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Pender County's 23.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,393 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pender County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Pender 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 Pender County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (80.0%) 2 tracts limited (13.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (6.7%) Adequate 80% Limited 13% Severe 7% Food-access tier distribution: Pender County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Pender County vs. other North Carolina counties

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

% 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 Pender County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)52,217
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population12,297
Low-Access Share23.6%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,978

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pender County
IndicatorValue
Population65,550
Median Household Income$80,396
Poverty Rate9.7%below the national average
SNAP Households2,977
SNAP Participation Rate11.8%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Pender County 11.8%

About 11.8% of Pender County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,977 households here.
  • 3.2% 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 Pender County

above the national share

1 of Pender County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.7% 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 12,297 residents, roughly 23.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,978 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Pender County

Pender County has 58 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • browns mini mart, burgaw
  • circle k 2706486, hampstead
  • hampstead country store 103, hampstead
  • han-dee hugo's 39, rocky point
  • handy mart 4735, hampstead
  • hilltop grocery, hampstead
  • johnsons corner, currie
  • kellys mercantile llc, atkinson
  • pmg pm 308, rocky point
  • pmg pm 755, burgaw
  • pmg pm 782, rocky point
  • penderlea mini mart 9105525071, willard
  • scotchman 3001, maple hill
  • scotchman 3014, burgaw
  • scotchman 3176, burgaw
  • scotchman 3183, hampstead
  • sheetz 830, hampstead
  • sloop point country store 102, hampstead
  • speedway 8187, hampstead
  • speedway 8189, rocky point
  • topsail, hampstead
  • yayas mini mart, currie

Combination Grocery/Other · 21

  • cvs pharmacy 2548, holly ridge
  • cvs pharmacy 7046, hampstead
  • dollar general 14713, rocky point
  • dollar general 18666, maple hill
  • dollar general 2767, burgaw
  • dollar general 9645, holly ridge
  • dollar general 18036, currie
  • dollar general 20845, willard
  • dollar general 25859, atkinson
  • dollar general 30642, rocky point
  • dollar general store 16799, hapstead
  • dollar tree 5360, hampstead
  • dollar tree 6721, burgaw
  • dollar tree 7074, surf city
  • family dollar 11013, rocky point
  • family dollar 13242, currie
  • family dollar 4653, burgaw
  • family dollar store 7279, hampstead
  • legends, burgaw
  • surf city crab, inc, surf city
  • walgreens 16158, burgaw

Supermarket · 7

  • food lion 2116, rocky point
  • food lion 351, burgaw
  • food lion 743, surf city
  • food lion 910, hampstead
  • lowes foods 242, hampstead
  • publix 1619, hampstead
  • surf city shopping center, inc, surf city

Super Store · 4

  • harris teeter 135, hampstead
  • piggly wiggly 91, burgaw
  • walmart neighborhood market 7162, hampstead
  • walmart supercenter 7243, burgaw

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • atlantic seafood company, hampstead
  • faircloth seafood, rocky point

Delivery Route · 1

  • feast down east, inc., burgaw

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • mino's fresh meats 9106606337, burgaw

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Pender County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Pender County sits inside North Carolina (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 Pender County has low food access? ▼
23.6% of residents in Pender County, NC 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 Pender County? ▼
11.8% of households in Pender County receive SNAP, covering 2,977 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Pender County? ▼
The poverty rate in Pender County, NC is 9.7%, with a median household income of $80,396 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Pender County a food desert? ▼
1 of Pender County's 15 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 Pender County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.2% of households in Pender 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.