County food-access profile · Virginia
Prince George County, VA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Prince George County 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).
- 33.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 11.0%
- on SNAP
- 43K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
33.9% of Prince George County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 3.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.9%
- 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 Prince George County's low-access share at 33.9%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,127 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,482 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 Prince George County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Prince George County's 33.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #678 most-affected nationwide.
Prince George County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Prince George County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Prince George County vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Prince George
Prince George County, VA
33.9 % low-access
- Accomack 2.2
Accomack County, VA
2.2 % low-access
- Albemarle 11.9
Albemarle County, VA
11.9 % low-access
- Alexandria city 0
Alexandria city, VA
0 % low-access
- Alleghany
Alleghany County, VA
16.4 % low-access
- Amelia
Amelia County, VA
16.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 35,725 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,127 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,482 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 43,146 |
| Median Household Income | $84,897 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,425 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 19.2% |
About 11.0% of Prince George County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 33.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,425 households here.
- 3.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Prince George County
above the national share
3 of Prince George County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 42.9% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 12,127 residents, roughly 33.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,482 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (28.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Prince George County
Prince George County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 13
- aplus 40021h, south prince george
- ashkar mart, disputanta
- breez-in 9, north prince george
- carson market, carson
- davis express 105, prince george
- hopewell shell, north prince george
- love's travel shop 717, disputanta
- pilot travel center 4656, disputanta
- prince george bp, south prince george
- prince mini mart, prince george
- sheetz 667, prince george
- sheetz 795, disputanta
- us gas, south prince george
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- big lots 3130, north prince george
- dollar general 11737, prince george
- dollar general 12791, disputanta
- dollar general 16460, south prince george
- dollar general 20456, north prince george
Supermarket · 2
- food lion 1451, prince george
- new dixie mart 218, south prince george
Farmers' Market · 1
- prince george county farmer's market, prince george
Military Commissary · 1
- fort lee commissary 2811, fort lee
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Prince George County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Prince George County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Prince George County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Prince George County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Prince George County? ▼
Is Prince George County a food desert? ▼
What share of Prince George County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.