Signature · 3 LILA tracts (37.5% of tracts)
Preston County, WV
Preston County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (37.5% of the book) alongside 24.9% low-access.
- 24.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 17.2%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Preston County, WV
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 38% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Calhoun County ( -0.7 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Preston County ranks #1,303 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #15 of 52 counties in WV (24.9% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,303
- national by low-access %
- #15
- in WV
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 3 LILA tracts (37.5% of tracts) .
How Preston County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Preston County's 24.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,303 most-affected nationwide.
Preston County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Preston County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (7 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Preston County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Gilmer
Gilmer 81.6%
81.6 % low-access
- Kanawha 27.7
Kanawha 27.7%
27.7 % low-access
- Preston 24.9
Preston 24.9%
24.9 % low-access
- Calhoun 24.2
Calhoun 24.2%
24.2 % low-access
- Roane 23.5
Roane 23.5%
23.5 % low-access
- Summers 22.2
Summers 22.2%
22.2 % low-access
- Pleasants 0
Pleasants 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 33,520 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,344 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,396 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,160 |
| Median Household Income | $61,880 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,207 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 11.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Preston County
Preston County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
9 towns share the 38 authorized stores; Kingwood holds 29% of them. 7 of the 9 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Terra Alta, Bruceton Mills, Tunnelton, Albright, Reedsville, Aurora and 1 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kingwood | 11 | 3 |
| Terra Alta | 6 | none |
| Bruceton Mills | 4 | none |
| Tunnelton | 4 | none |
| Albright | 3 | none |
| Masontown | 3 | 1 |
| Reedsville | 3 | none |
| Aurora | 2 | none |
| Rowlesburg | 2 | none |
Convenience Store · 20
- 4704004.0 4004, masontown
- 4704016.0 4016, kingwood
- bfs foods 10, bruceton mills
- bfs foods 11, masontown
- bfs foods 40, terra alta
- bfs foods 60, kingwood
- bfs foods 61, kingwood
- bfs foods 72, bruceton mills
- cheat river general store, rowlesburg
- cool springs park, rowlesburg
- deerwood service center, aurora
- lenox store, albright
- mountaineer mart - terra alta 131, terra alta
- par mar store 150, kingwood
- par mar store 178, reedsville
- par mar store 218, terra alta
- the point convenience, albright
- the roberts family store, kingwood
- tunnelton quick stop, tunnelton
- w w service center llc, tunnelton
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- dollar general 17364, aurora
- dollar general 20762, albright
- dollar general 3539, kingwood
- dollar general 8515, terra alta
- dollar general 9146, reedsville
- dollar tree 3936, kingwood
- family dollar 11709, tunnelton
- family dollar 13545, terra alta
- family dollar store 7262, bruceton mills
- reedsville shop n save, reedsville
- terra alta shop n save, terra alta
- walgreens 19666, kingwood
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- lec farm & garden market, kingwood
- streets store, masontown
Small Grocery Store · 2
- haines farming & meat processing, llc, bruceton mills
- no 4 store, tunnelton
Super Store · 2
- kingwood shop n save express, kingwood
- walmart 4372, kingwood
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 Preston County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Preston County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Preston County, both outside West Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WV (24.9% here).
- Dane County, WI · 24.9% low-access
- Taylor County, TX · 24.9% low-access
- Burke County, NC · 24.9% low-access
- Chemung County, NY · 24.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WV (17.2% here).
- Prince Edward County, VA · 17.2% SNAP
- Henry County, VA · 17.2% SNAP
- Decatur County, TN · 17.2% SNAP
- Schuylkill County, PA · 17.2% 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.
West Virginia among South Atlantic states
West Virginia ranks 7th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (21.3%). Preston County, at 24.9%, runs 3.6 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 Preston County, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54077. 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.