Signature · 19.9% SNAP (85th pct in VA)
Portsmouth city, VA
Portsmouth city stands out on SNAP (19.9%, +7.8 pts vs U.S.) with 23.1% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 23.1%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 19.9%
- on SNAP
- 97K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Portsmouth city, VA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 23.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 19.9% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 12.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 13% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Newport News city (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Portsmouth city ranks #1,441 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #45 of 123 counties in VA (23.1% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,441
- national by low-access %
- #45
- in VA
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- 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: 19.9% SNAP (85th pct in VA) (+7.8 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Portsmouth city compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Portsmouth city's 23.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 54% of them and ranked #1,444 most-affected nationwide.
Portsmouth city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
31 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Portsmouth city has 31 urban and 0 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.
Portsmouth city low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Salem city 23.4
Salem city 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Newport News … 23.2
Newport News … 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Portsmouth ci… 23.1
Portsmouth ci… 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Colonial Heig… 22.7
Colonial Heig… 22.7%
22.7 % low-access
- Suffolk city 22.4
Suffolk city 22.4%
22.4 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 31 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 95,535 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 22,067 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.1%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,633 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 97,190 |
| Median Household Income | $60,491 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,008 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.9%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 12.0%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Portsmouth city
Portsmouth city has 81 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 45 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 45
- 7 cities, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 10867j, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 24040h, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 24636j, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 33236j, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 37129h, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 37163h, portsmouth
- 7-eleven inc f 21937a, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 15853b 15853, portsmouth
- 7-eleven 33603a, portsmouth
- big apple food mart, portsmouth
- cradock amoco, portsmouth
- churchland mini mart, portsmouth
- express market, portsmouth
- express market # 52, portsmouth
- express market #1000, portsmouth
- express market #2406, portsmouth
- express market #3401, portsmouth
- flowers bakery outlet 503, portsmouth
- freedom food mart, portsmouth
- freedom food mart 2, portsmouth
- freedom food mart 5, portsmouth
- geo washington citgo, portsmouth
- gitgo food mart, portsmouth
- happy food mart, portsmouth
- happy mini mart, portsmouth
- high st exxon, portsmouth
- joe's kwik mart 8406, portsmouth
- kang's amoco, portsmouth
- kings convenience store, portsmouth
- krishna food mart, portsmouth
- lawe's corner mart, portsmouth
- london convenience store, portsmouth
- maryview shell, portsmouth
- quick stop, portsmouth
- quick save food mart, portsmouth
- royal farms 205, portsmouth
- tinee giant 607, portsmouth
- tinee giant citgo 542, portsmouth
- tobacco shop, portsmouth
- victory mini mart, portsmouth
- victory exxon, portsmouth
- wawa 8636, portsmouth
- wawa 8672, portsmouth
- wawa food market 8612, portsmouth
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- cvs 4520, portsmouth
- cvs pharmacy 10088, portsmouth
- cvs pharmacy 5501, portsmouth
- dollar tree 4708, portsmouth
- dollartree 9955, portsmouth
- dollar general 10390, portsmouth
- dollar general 15512, portsmouth
- dollar general 18079, portsmouth
- dollar general 23482, portsmouth
- dollar general 2808, portsmouth
- dollar general 30234, portsmouth
- dollar general 3707, portsmouth
- dollar general 8452, portsmouth
- dollar tree 2132, portsmouth
- dollar tree plus 7049, portsmouth
- family dollar 12602, portsmouth
- family dollar store 373, portsmouth
- family dollar store 4895, portsmouth
- family dollar store 5061, portsmouth
- family dollar store 7084, portsmouth
- walgreens 07116, portsmouth
- walgreens 4616, portsmouth
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 80008 80008, portsmouth
- food lion 1555, portsmouth
- food lion 206, portsmouth
- food lion 2659, portsmouth
- food lion 2675, portsmouth
- food lion 839, portsmouth
Super Store · 4
- farm fresh, portsmouth
- harris teeter 315, portsmouth
- kroger 542, portsmouth
- walmart 3831, portsmouth
Small Grocery Store · 2
- bean oriental grocery, portsmouth
- port norfolk inc, portsmouth
Military Commissary · 1
- portsmouth nnsy commissary 2824, portsmouth
Seafood Specialty · 1
- a & a seafood, portsmouth
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 Portsmouth city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Portsmouth city's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Portsmouth city (19.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Virginia.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (23.1% here).
- Panola County, TX · 23.1% low-access
- Panola County, TX · 23.1% low-access
- Henry County, TN · 23.1% low-access
- Henry County, TN · 23.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (19.9% here).
- Wetzel County, WV · 19.9% SNAP
- Wetzel County, WV · 19.9% SNAP
- Chautauqua County, NY · 19.9% SNAP
- Chautauqua County, NY · 19.9% 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.
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Portsmouth city sits inside Virginia (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 Portsmouth city, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51740. 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.