Signature · 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts)
Prince Edward County, VA
Prince Edward County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (40% of the book) alongside 17.8% low-access.
- 17.8%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 17.2%
- on SNAP
- 22K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Prince Edward County, VA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 17.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -4.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 40% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Fairfax County (+ 0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Prince Edward County ranks #1,884 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #67 of 123 counties in VA (17.8% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,884
- national by low-access %
- #67
- in VA
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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: 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts) .
How Prince Edward County compares nationally
Prince Edward County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.8% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,884).
Prince Edward County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Prince Edward County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Prince Edward County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Roanoke city 18.7
Roanoke city 18.7%
18.7 % low-access
- Grayson 18.1
Grayson 18.1%
18.1 % low-access
- Fairfax 18
Fairfax 18%
18 % low-access
- Prince Edward 17.8
Prince Edward 17.8%
17.8 % low-access
- Virginia Beac… 17.5
Virginia Beac… 17.5%
17.5 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,368 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,152 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.8%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,198 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,996 |
| Median Household Income | $56,315 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,314 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 20.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 26 authorized stores; Farmville holds 69% of them. 4 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Prospect, Pamplin, Green Bay, Rice.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Farmville | 18 | 2 |
| Prospect | 4 | none |
| Pamplin | 2 | none |
| Green Bay | 1 | none |
| Rice | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 12
- 460 community market, prospect
- fas mart 36, farmville
- flowers bakery outlet 397, farmville
- four season, farmville
- hendricks store llc, prospect
- murphy usa 7636, farmville
- prospect convenience mart, prospect
- pump & pantry, farmville
- tolley market, pamplin
- tom's country store, farmville
- wawa store 6611, farmville
- worsham grocery, farmville
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 1559, farmville
- dollar general 18171, rice
- dollar general 20398, prospect
- dollar general 20662, green bay
- dollar general 25161, farmville
- dollar general 961, farmville
- dollar tree 530, farmville
- family dollar 12155, farmville
- walgreens 17429, farmville
Farmers' Market · 2
- farmville community marketplace, farmville
- pamplin community market, pamplin
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- 5 pillar meats, farmville
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 1486, farmville
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 282, farmville
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 Prince Edward County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Prince Edward County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Prince Edward County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (17.8% here).
- Moore County, TX · 17.8% low-access
- Barron County, WI · 17.8% low-access
- Lincoln County, WY · 17.8% low-access
- Florence County, SC · 17.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (17.2% here).
- Preston County, WV · 17.2% SNAP
- Decatur County, TN · 17.2% SNAP
- Schuylkill County, PA · 17.2% SNAP
- Kay County, OK · 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.
Virginia among South Atlantic states
Virginia ranks 8th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (20.4%). Prince Edward County, at 17.8%, runs 2.6 pts below the 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 Prince Edward County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51147. 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.