County food-access profile · North Carolina
Pitt County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Pitt 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).
- 21.7%
- low-access pop.
- 9
- food-desert tracts
- 15.2%
- on SNAP
- 177K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
21.7% of Pitt County residents live in a low-access area, and 9 of its 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 15
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 9.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.8%
- 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 Pitt County's low-access share at 21.7%, above the national share. 15 of the county's 32 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 36,492 people. 9 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,247 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 Pitt County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Pitt County's 21.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,553 most-affected nationwide.
Pitt County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 32 census tracts in Pitt County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Pitt County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Pitt
Pitt County, NC
21.7 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 32 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 168,148 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 15 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 9 |
| Low-Access Population | 36,492 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,247 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 177,193 |
| Median Household Income | $58,188 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 11,320 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.0%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.4% |
About 15.2% of Pitt County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 21.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 11,320 households here.
- 9.0% 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 Pitt County
above the national share
9 of Pitt County's 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.1% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 15.
An estimated 36,492 residents, roughly 21.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,247 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (53.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Pitt County
Pitt County has 184 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 87 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 87
- 7-eleven, inc. 42265h, greenville
- circle k 2706484, winterville
- circle k 2720826, winterville
- circle k 2723104, greenville
- city gas, greenville
- community store 2, ayden
- country mart 1, bethel
- country mart 2, stokes
- country store of greenville inc 517-a, greenville
- dreams mart, greenville
- ds drive thru, greenville
- duck thru 59, greenville
- duck thru food store 14, greenville
- duck thru food store 15, greenville
- duck thru food store 20, greenville
- east carolina family fare 216, greenville
- ez tobacco and conv llc, greenville
- five points food mart 1, greenville
- fountain mart and tobacco, fountain
- fuel doc 12, greenville
- greenville african and caribbean foods, greenville
- h&k #2, greenville
- han-dee hugo's 14, greenville
- handy mart 4713, greenville
- handy mart 4718, winterville
- hustle a foodmart, farmville
- jai ambe maa llc, ayden
- joes country mary, greenville
- joyner's service station 1, farmville
- kash and karry iii, ayden
- king's convenience yzan inc, greenville
- l&d mart inc, greenville
- la potosina yanez, grimesland
- lewis' store, farmville
- marks food mart, greenville
- mill road mart, greenville
- mozingo rd food mart inc 1, greenville
- murphy usa 6645, greenville
- my stop, greenville
- oasis 7, greenville
- odm mart, greenville
- old river store llc 1, greenville
- pirate's pitstop, greenville
- pirates convenience store n/a, greenville
- pitt st mini mart, greenville
- red oak grill and grocery, greenville
- royal farms 474, greenville
- royal farms 486, greenville
- royal farms 493, greenville
- royal farms 494, greenville
- royal farms 540, greenville
- s & n plus, greenville
- sheetz 391, greenville
- sheetz 409, winterville
- sheetz 415, greenville
- sheetz 397, greenville
- sheetz 488, greenville
- sheetz 688, greenville
- speedway 7907, greenville
- speedway 7909, greenville
- speedway 7958, ayden
- speedway 7960, farmville
- speedway 8183, greenville
- speedway 8204, greenville
- speedway 8208, greenville
- speedway 8215, greenville
- speedway 8219, grifton
- speedway 8220, ayden
- speedway 8221, greenville
- speedway 8231, winterville
- speedway 8265, greenville
- speedway 8266, greenville
- speedway 8283, winterville
- speedway 8285, farmville
- speedway 8287, greenville
- speedway 8654, greenville
- speedway 8661, greenville
- speedway 8672, greenville
- speedway 8683, robersonville
- star ii tobacco 1, greenville
- the campus store, greenville
- tienda y restaurante el torito, farmville
- wawa store 6104, greenville
- wawa store 6109, greenville
- wawa store 6120, greenville
- wawa store 6121, greenville
- winterville food mart, winterville
Combination Grocery/Other · 59
- big lots 3218, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 5420, winterville
- cvs pharmacy 7587, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 3385, greenville
- cvs pharmacy 3895, farmville
- cvs pharmacy 5567, greenville
- dollar general #1808 3134, grifton
- dollar general 168, farmville
- dollar general 18551, fountain
- dollar general 4318, greenville
- dollar general 6510, winterville
- dollar general 6689, greenville
- dollar general 6778, bethel
- dollar general 6859, winterville
- dollar general 7459, ayden
- dollar general 7476, greenville
- dollar general 7810, robersonville
- dollar general 8944, greenville
- dollar tree 1498, greenville
- dollartree 10747, greenville
- dollartree 9543, greenville
- dollar general 13150, grimesland
- dollar general 13431, greenville
- dollar general 15030, greenville
- dollar general 15259, greenville
- dollar general 20507, stokes
- dollar general 20937, greenville
- dollar general 21509, greenville
- dollar general 24639, greenville
- dollar general 24981, greenville
- dollar general 30281, farmville
- dollar general 30461, greenville
- dollar general store 17865, winterville
- dollar tree 2586, winterville
- dollar tree 4859, greenville
- dollar tree 5652, greenville
- dollar tree 5668, farmville
- dollar tree 8872, greenville
- family dollar 10462, greenville
- family dollar 12134, greenville
- family dollar 12451, bethel
- family dollar store 10644, greenville
- family dollar store 10769, greenville
- family dollar store 204, farmville
- family dollar store 450, ayden
- family dollar store 4677, winterville
- family dollar store 6278, greenville
- family dollar store 825, greenville
- family dollar store 98, greenville
- fred's food club - greenville, winterville
- maxway 1842, greenville
- rose's 1838, farmville
- walgreens 6579, greenville
- walgreens 6616, greenville
- walgreens 02453, greenville
- walgreens 11416, greenville
- walgreens 12046, winterville
- walgreens 16154, ayden
- walgreens 17018, winterville
Supermarket · 18
- aldi 80019, greenville
- aldi 80040, winterville
- food lion 1291, greenville
- food lion 1373, greenville
- food lion 1492, greenville
- food lion 1568, greenville
- food lion 1657, greenville
- food lion 1674, greenville
- food lion 2511, ayden
- food lion 2635, farmville
- food lion 486, greenville
- food lion 779, winterville
- food pride, grifton
- lowes foods 287, winterville
- piggly wiggly 70, farmville
- publix 1569, greenville
- trader joe's greenville 790, greenville
- the fresh market 101, greenville
Super Store · 13
- harris teeter 288, greenville
- harris teeter 362, greenville
- lidl 1009, greenville
- piggly wiggly 34, greenville
- piggly wiggly 38, ayden
- sam's club 6216, winterville
- target store 1022, greenville
- tropicana supermarket, greenville
- walmart 1379, greenville
- walmart neighborhood market 7222, greenville
- walmart neighborhood market 7235, winterville
- walmart neighborhood market 7337, greenville
- walmart supercenter 5851, greenville
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- hong kong supermarket chen inc, winterville
- landmark halal market, greenville
- namastay world market, greenville
Farmers' Market · 1
- leroy james farmers' market, greenville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- supermercado el rancho inc, greenville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- sumrells country sausage, ayden
Seafood Specialty · 1
- west end seafood, greenville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Pitt County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Pitt County sits inside North Carolina (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 Pitt County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pitt County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Pitt County? ▼
Is Pitt County a food desert? ▼
What share of Pitt 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.