PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Pittsylvania County, VA

Pittsylvania 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.

16.5%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
14.9%
on SNAP
60K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

16.5% of Pittsylvania County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
14.6%
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).

Pittsylvania County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.5% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,482 residents who live far from a supermarket. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,762 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 Pittsylvania County compares nationally

Pittsylvania County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.5% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,994).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pittsylvania County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Pittsylvania 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 Pittsylvania County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (62.5%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (37.5%) Adequate 63% Limited 0% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Pittsylvania County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Pittsylvania County 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 Pittsylvania County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)63,506
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population10,482
Low-Access Share16.5%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,762

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pittsylvania County
IndicatorValue
Population59,856
Median Household Income$54,085
Poverty Rate14.6%near the national average
SNAP Households3,733
SNAP Participation Rate14.9%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.3%
SNAP participation in Pittsylvania County 14.9%

About 14.9% of Pittsylvania County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,733 households here.
  • 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Pittsylvania County

near the national share

6 of Pittsylvania County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 37.5% of all its tracts.

An estimated 10,482 residents, roughly 16.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,762 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Pittsylvania County

Pittsylvania County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 31

  • apple market 507, gretna
  • apple market 519, gretna
  • apple market 520, danville
  • apple market 521, blairs
  • b&b 2, hurt
  • carter's 2, gretna
  • circle k 2723478, blairs
  • corner market, danville
  • dollar days, llc, gretna
  • easy stop 3, danville
  • g & m mini market, ringgold
  • gill's 58, danville
  • kdr convenience, hurt
  • katies grill and grocery, dry fork
  • kentuk grocery, ringgold
  • kwik shop, dry fork
  • lucky market, danville
  • maxi mart, gretna
  • mrfood&grocery 1, long island
  • one stop mart, gretna
  • pucketts grill and grocery, axton
  • rpmmg, ringgold
  • sams on 40, gretna
  • sunnys market, keeling
  • super 7 dell mart, hurt
  • sycamore grocery, gretna
  • thevillagestore, chatham
  • tiger mart, chatham
  • trip stop, gretna
  • woodys country store, pittsville
  • yeatts mini mart, java

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy 7581, chatham
  • dollar general 19342, ringgold
  • dollar general 13290, danville
  • dollar general 13468, cascade
  • dollar general 15887, blairs
  • dollar general 17667, chatham
  • dollar general 19540, hurt
  • dollar general 21024, ringgold
  • dollar general 2518, chatham
  • dollar general 30139, blairs
  • dollar general 7844, gretna
  • family dollar 10143, danville
  • family dollar 86, hurt
  • family dollar 9403, gretna
  • family dollar store 3200, danville
  • family dollar store 3554, chatham

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 2529, gretna
  • food lion 464, chatham

Farmers' Market · 1

  • the southside farmer, sutherlin

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • country boys market, ringgold

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • farmhouse butchery, chatham

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • mount hermon fresh meat market, danville

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 Pittsylvania County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Pittsylvania County 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 Pittsylvania County has low food access? ▼
16.5% of residents in Pittsylvania County, 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 Pittsylvania County? ▼
14.9% of households in Pittsylvania County receive SNAP, covering 3,733 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Pittsylvania County? ▼
The poverty rate in Pittsylvania County, VA is 14.6%, with a median household income of $54,085 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Pittsylvania County a food desert? ▼
6 of Pittsylvania County's 16 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 Pittsylvania County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Pittsylvania 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.