Signature · 6 LILA tracts (37.5% of tracts)
Pittsylvania County, VA
Pittsylvania County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 6 LILA tracts (37.5% of the book) alongside 16.5% low-access.
- 16.5%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 14.9%
- on SNAP
- 60K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Pittsylvania County, VA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 16.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -5.6 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 6 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 38% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Amelia County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Pittsylvania County ranks #1,993 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #72 of 123 counties in VA (16.5% low-access; 6 food-desert tracts).
- #1,993
- national by low-access %
- #72
- in VA
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 6 LILA tracts (37.5% of tracts) .
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 #1,993).
Pittsylvania County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
16 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 6 LILA.
Pittsylvania County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (14 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Pittsylvania County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Loudoun 16.6
Loudoun 16.6%
16.6 % low-access
- Waynesboro ci… 16.6
Waynesboro ci… 16.6%
16.6 % low-access
- Pittsylvania 16.5
Pittsylvania 16.5%
16.5 % low-access
- Amelia 16.5
Amelia 16.5%
16.5 % low-access
- Alleghany 16.4
Alleghany 16.4%
16.4 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,506 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,482 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,762 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 59,856 |
| Median Household Income | $54,085 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,733 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
14 towns share the 53 authorized stores; Gretna holds 23% of them. 12 of the 14 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Danville, Ringgold, Hurt, Blairs, Dry Fork, Axton and 6 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Gretna | 12 | 1 |
| Danville | 9 | none |
| Chatham | 8 | 1 |
| Ringgold | 6 | none |
| Hurt | 5 | none |
| Blairs | 4 | none |
| Dry Fork | 2 | none |
| Axton | 1 | none |
| Cascade | 1 | none |
| Java | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 14 towns by store count.
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Pittsylvania County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Pittsylvania County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Pittsylvania County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (16.5% here).
- Jasper County, TX · 16.5% low-access
- Burleson County, TX · 16.5% low-access
- Clarendon County, SC · 16.5% low-access
- Crook County, OR · 16.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (14.9% here).
- Caledonia County, VT · 14.9% SNAP
- Sabine County, TX · 14.9% SNAP
- Palo Pinto County, TX · 14.9% SNAP
- Juneau County, WI · 14.9% 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.
Virginia among South Atlantic states
Virginia ranks 8th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (20.4%). Pittsylvania County, at 16.5%, runs 3.9 pts below the Virginia 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 Pittsylvania County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51143. 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.