Signature · 2 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Pocahontas County, WV
Pocahontas County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 47.7% low-access.
- 47.7%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 21.7%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Pocahontas County, WV
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 47.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +25.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 21.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pendleton County (+ 0.6 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Pocahontas County sits in the upper national band (47.7%, #232 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #232
- national by low-access %
- #4
- in WV
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Pocahontas County compares nationally
Pocahontas County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 47.7% low-access share outpaces 93% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #232 most-affected nationwide.
Pocahontas County's elevated USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
All 4 of Pocahontas County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Pocahontas County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Gilmer
Gilmer 81.6%
81.6 % low-access
- Hancock
Hancock 50.2%
50.2 % low-access
- Pendleton
Pendleton 48.3%
48.3 % low-access
- Pocahontas
Pocahontas 47.7%
47.7 % low-access
- Wetzel
Wetzel 39.8%
39.8 % low-access
- Monroe
Monroe 39.7%
39.7 % low-access
- Pleasants 0
Pleasants 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 8,719 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,158 |
| Low-Access Share | 47.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,719 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,784 |
| Median Household Income | $42,119 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.5%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 690 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.4% |
SNAP retailers in Pocahontas County
Pocahontas County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 16 authorized stores; Marlinton holds 31% of them. 4 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Hillsboro, Bartow, Green Bank, Slatyfork.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Marlinton | 5 | 1 |
| Hillsboro | 4 | none |
| Bartow | 2 | none |
| Green Bank | 2 | none |
| Slatyfork | 2 | none |
| Arbovale | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 9
- levels depot, hillsboro
- little general 2060, marlinton
- par mar store 102, bartow
- par mar store 197, hillsboro
- par mar store 221, marlinton
- par mar store 50, slatyfork
- par mar store 74, green bank
- route 39 stop, marlinton
- trents general store llc 2, bartow
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 915, marlinton
- dollar general 11748, green bank
- dollar general 24509, slatyfork
- dollar general 24638, hillsboro
Farmers' Market · 1
- saffron flats farms, llc, hillsboro
Large Grocery Store · 1
- trents general store llc 1, arbovale
Super Store · 1
- pocahontas foodland, marlinton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in West Virginia
One of 54 counties in West Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Pocahontas County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
West Virginia among South Atlantic states
West Virginia ranks 7th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (21.3%). Pocahontas County, at 47.7%, runs 26.4 pts above the West 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 Pocahontas County, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54075. 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.