PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Portsmouth city, VA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Portsmouth city residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

23.1%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
19.9%
on SNAP
97K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

23.1% of Portsmouth city residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
12.0%
households, no vehicle
17.3%
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).

USDA data puts Portsmouth city's low-access share at 23.1%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 31 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 22,067 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,633 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 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.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Portsmouth city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 31 census tracts in Portsmouth city, 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 Portsmouth city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 22 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 31 tracts evaluated. 22 tracts adequate (71.0%) 5 tracts limited (16.1%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (12.9%) Adequate 71% Limited 16% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Portsmouth city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Portsmouth city 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 Portsmouth city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts31
Atlas Population (2010 basis)95,535
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population22,067
Low-Access Share23.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,633

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Portsmouth city
IndicatorValue
Population97,190
Median Household Income$60,491
Poverty Rate17.3%above the national average
SNAP Households8,008
SNAP Participation Rate19.9%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle12.0%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.8%
SNAP participation in Portsmouth city 19.9%

About 19.9% of Portsmouth city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,008 households here.
  • 12.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Portsmouth city

above the national share

4 of Portsmouth city's 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.9% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 22,067 residents, roughly 23.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,633 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 22 tracts (71.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 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 Portsmouth city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Portsmouth city 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 Portsmouth city has low food access? ▼
23.1% of residents in Portsmouth city, 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 Portsmouth city? ▼
19.9% of households in Portsmouth city receive SNAP, covering 8,008 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Portsmouth city? ▼
The poverty rate in Portsmouth city, VA is 17.3%, with a median household income of $60,491 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Portsmouth city a food desert? ▼
4 of Portsmouth city's 31 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 Portsmouth city households lack a vehicle? ▼
12.0% of households in Portsmouth city 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.