Signature · 9.7% SNAP (17th pct in GA)
Pickens County, GA
Pickens 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.
- 17.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.7%
- on SNAP
- 35K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Pickens County, GA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 17.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -4.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Murray County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Pickens County ranks #1,891 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #85 of 151 counties in GA (17.7% low-access).
- #1,891
- national by low-access %
- #85
- in GA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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: 9.7% SNAP (17th pct in GA) (-2.4 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Pickens County compares nationally
Pickens County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.7% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,891).
Pickens County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Pickens County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Pickens County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Georgia, not a full county-board reprint
- Chattahoochee
Chattahoochee 97.7%
97.7 % low-access
- Decatur 17.9
Decatur 17.9%
17.9 % low-access
- Wayne 17.9
Wayne 17.9%
17.9 % low-access
- Pickens 17.7
Pickens 17.7%
17.7 % low-access
- Murray 17.6
Murray 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Gilmer 17.3
Gilmer 17.3%
17.3 % low-access
- Dade 0
Dade 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 29,431 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,197 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,683 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,951 |
| Median Household Income | $78,930 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,306 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
Thick SNAP store book in Pickens County
Pickens County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 31 authorized stores; Jasper holds 81% of them. 4 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Marble Hill, Talking Rock, Fairmount, Tate.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Jasper | 25 | 4 |
| Marble Hill | 2 | none |
| Talking Rock | 2 | none |
| Fairmount | 1 | none |
| Tate | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 15
- amoco west market, jasper
- citgo, tate
- dunn's food mart, talking rock
- exxon gas station, jasper
- foothills chevron, marble hill
- jasper chervon, jasper
- main stop market, jasper
- mountain view citgo, jasper
- murphy express 8809, jasper
- old twin tanks, fairmount
- quiktrip 829, jasper
- r & l jasper food mart inc, jasper
- race trac 118, jasper
- tariz food mart, jasper
- west end general store, jasper
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 3392, jasper
- dollar general 996, jasper
- dollartree 9718, jasper
- dollar general 10349, talking rock
- dollar general 13733, jasper
- dollar general 24857, jasper
- dollar general 24860, marble hill
- dollar general store 17892, jasper
- dollar tree 5724, jasper
- family dollar 3509, jasper
- walgreen 10121, jasper
Super Store · 2
- kroger store 620, jasper
- walmart supercenter 5786, jasper
Supermarket · 2
- ingles markets 437, jasper
- publix super markets, inc. 2047, jasper
Small Grocery Store · 1
- rooster's market, jasper
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Georgia
One of 158 counties in Georgia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Pickens County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Nationwide peers for Pickens County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Pickens County (9.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Georgia.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside GA (17.7% here).
- Teller County, CO · 17.7% low-access
- Lincoln County, MS · 17.7% low-access
- Montgomery County, MO · 17.7% low-access
- Nash County, NC · 17.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside GA (9.7% here).
- Santa Rosa County, FL · 9.7% SNAP
- Jay County, IN · 9.7% SNAP
- Owen County, IN · 9.7% SNAP
- Neosho County, KS · 9.7% 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.
Georgia among South Atlantic states
Georgia ranks 1st of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (30.9%). Pickens County, at 17.7%, runs 13.2 pts below the Georgia rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Pickens County, GA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 13227. 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.