Signature · 58 SNAP-authorized stores
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 access plate
County Pender County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 23.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.5 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 7% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Randolph County ( -0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Pender County ranks #1,390 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #30 of 100 counties in NC (23.6% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,390
- national by low-access %
- #30
- in NC
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 58 SNAP-authorized stores .
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.
Pender County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
15 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Pender County has 2 urban and 13 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Pender County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Guilford
Guilford 24.2%
24.2 % low-access
- Pender 23.6
Pender 23.6%
23.6 % low-access
- Randolph 23.3
Randolph 23.3%
23.3 % low-access
- Granville 23.1
Granville 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Wayne 23.1
Wayne 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 52,217 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,297 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.6%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,978 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 65,550 |
| Median Household Income | $80,396 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,977 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Pender County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Pender County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Pender County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (23.6% here).
- Rensselaer County, NY · 23.6% low-access
- Rensselaer County, NY · 23.6% low-access
- Emmet County, MI · 23.6% low-access
- Emmet County, MI · 23.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (11.8% here).
- Morrow County, OH · 11.8% SNAP
- Morrow County, OH · 11.8% SNAP
- Custer County, OK · 11.8% SNAP
- Custer County, OK · 11.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Pender County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Pender County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37141. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.