Signature · 5.7% low-access (11th pct)
Polk County, NC
Polk County lands in the lower national band on low-access (5.7%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 5.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.7%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Polk County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 5.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -16.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pamlico County (+ 0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Polk County lands in the lower national band (5.7%, #2,778 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,778
- national by low-access %
- #83
- in NC
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 331
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 5.7% low-access (11th pct) (-16.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Polk County compares nationally
Food access in Polk County compares favorably nationally: its 5.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 11% of them (rank #2,778).
Polk County's lower-band USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Polk County has 1 urban and 6 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Polk County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Vance 6.1
Vance 6.1%
6.1 % low-access
- Jackson 6
Jackson 6%
6 % low-access
- Pamlico 5.9
Pamlico 5.9%
5.9 % low-access
- Polk 5.7
Polk 5.7%
5.7 % low-access
- Perquimans 5.4
Perquimans 5.4%
5.4 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,510 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,165 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 331 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,891 |
| Median Household Income | $67,758 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 873 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
SNAP retailers in Polk County
Polk County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (41% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 7008, columbus
- dollar general 10870, mill spring
- dollar general 8320, columbus
- dollar general 12102, saluda
- dollar general 12279, tryon
- dollar general 13558, tryon
- dollar general 21697, mill spring
Convenience Store · 7
- deb's mini mart 2, columbus
- mcguinn's store llc, mill spring
- quick pantry #5, columbus
- roadrunner market 6057, columbus
- roadrunner market 6058, columbus
- triangle stop food stores 202, saluda
- tryon food store, tryon
Supermarket · 2
- food lion 510, columbus
- tryon, iga, tryon
Farmers' Market · 1
- columbus farmer's market, columbus
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Polk County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Polk County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Polk County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (5.7% here).
- Jackson County, OH · 5.7% low-access
- Jackson County, OH · 5.7% low-access
- Logan County, OH · 5.7% low-access
- Logan County, OH · 5.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (9.7% here).
- Columbia County, NY · 9.7% SNAP
- Columbia County, NY · 9.7% SNAP
- Madison County, OH · 9.7% SNAP
- Madison County, OH · 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.
Polk County inside a lower low-access state context
Polk County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Polk County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37149. 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.