PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Petersburg city, VA

Petersburg city sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

46.8%
low-access pop.
9
food-desert tracts
22.6%
on SNAP
34K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

46.8% of Petersburg city residents live in a low-access area, and 9 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
14.8%
households, no vehicle
21.7%
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).

Petersburg city carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 46.8% is well above the national share. 9 of the county's 11 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 15,173 people. 9 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,676 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 Petersburg city compares nationally

Petersburg city sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 46.8% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #248 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Petersburg city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Petersburg city, 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 Petersburg city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 9 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (18.2%) 9 tracts severe / food desert (81.8%) Adequate 18% Limited 0% Severe 82% Food-access tier distribution: Petersburg city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Petersburg city vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Petersburg city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,420
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)9
Low-Access Population15,173
Low-Access Share46.8%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,676

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Petersburg city
IndicatorValue
Population33,537
Median Household Income$50,698
Poverty Rate21.7%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,428
SNAP Participation Rate22.6%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle14.8%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%
SNAP participation in Petersburg city 22.6%

About 22.6% of Petersburg city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 46.8% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 22.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,428 households here.
  • 14.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 9 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 Petersburg city

well above the national share

9 of Petersburg city's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 81.8% of all its tracts.

An estimated 15,173 residents, roughly 46.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,676 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (18.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Petersburg city

Petersburg city has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 27 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 27

  • 460 mobil, petersburg
  • 460 sunoco, petersburg
  • 7-eleven 11056h, petersburg
  • 7-eleven store 41525h, disputanta
  • east washington bp, petersburg
  • elliott sadler race-in 175, petersburg
  • jay's grocery, petersburg
  • jk market, petersburg
  • little food mart, petersburg
  • local mini mart, petersburg
  • lucky seven, petersburg
  • midget mart na, petersburg
  • mobile express, petersburg
  • mobile express ii, petersburg
  • mobile express iii, petersburg
  • new dixie mart #228 228, petersburg
  • petersburg market place, petersburg
  • qwik stop 1, petersburg
  • rams amoco, petersburg
  • retailers, petersburg
  • shortts grocery, petersburg
  • sheetz 627, petersburg
  • sheetz 829, north dinwiddie
  • sycamore supermarket, petersburg
  • the market place 1, petersburg
  • town & country 3 llc, petersburg
  • wawa food market 683, petersburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy 1978, petersburg
  • dollartree 8694, petersburg
  • dollar general 11974, petersburg
  • dollar general 13408, petersburg
  • dollar general 22120, petersburg
  • dollar general 23102, south prince george
  • dollar general 25162, petersburg
  • dollar general 3573, petersburg
  • dollar tree 1322, petersburg
  • family dollar 11448, petersburg
  • family dollar 12347, petersburg
  • family dollar 3422, petersburg
  • j and j seafood market, petersburg
  • roses express 675, petersburg
  • walgreens 09270, petersburg
  • walgreens 10713, north dinwiddie

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • el sol latin market, petersburg
  • halifax food center, petersburg
  • pequeno mexico, llc adriana's, petersburg

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • so fresh food, petersburg
  • tryme market, petersburg

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • bumbay seafood, petersburg
  • grayson seafood inc, petersburg

Farmers' Market · 1

  • river street market llc, petersburg

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • first food market, petersburg

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 2160, petersburg

Supermarket · 1

  • food lion 2671, petersburg

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Petersburg city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Petersburg city sits inside Virginia (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 Petersburg city has low food access? ▼
46.8% of residents in Petersburg city, VA 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 Petersburg city? ▼
22.6% of households in Petersburg city receive SNAP, covering 3,428 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Petersburg city? ▼
The poverty rate in Petersburg city, VA is 21.7%, with a median household income of $50,698 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Petersburg city a food desert? ▼
9 of Petersburg city's 11 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 Petersburg city households lack a vehicle? ▼
14.8% of households in Petersburg city 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.