County food-access profile · Virginia
Prince William County, VA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Prince William 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).
- 27.9%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 5.8%
- on SNAP
- 489K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
27.9% of Prince William County residents live in a low-access area, and 10 of its 82 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 42
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
- 2.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.2%
- 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 William County's low-access share at 27.9%, above the national share. 42 of the county's 82 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 112,083 people. 10 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 15,339 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 William County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Prince William County's 27.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,093 most-affected nationwide.
Prince William County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 82 census tracts in Prince William County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Prince William County vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Prince William
Prince William County, VA
27.9 % low-access
- Accomack 2.2
Accomack County, VA
2.2 % low-access
- Albemarle
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 | 82 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 402,002 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 42 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 112,083 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 15,339 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 488,880 |
| Median Household Income | $131,402 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,124 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
About 5.8% of Prince William County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 27.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,124 households here.
- 2.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 10 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 William County
above the national share
10 of Prince William County's 82 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.2% of all its tracts.
A further 32 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 42.
An estimated 112,083 residents, roughly 27.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 15,339 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 40 tracts (48.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Prince William County
Prince William County has 210 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 74 locations (35% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 74
- 7 eleven 10757a, triangle
- 7-eleven 15779c, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 16172c, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 27822b, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 29104b, manassas
- 7-eleven 30486j, manassas
- 7-eleven 32149c, dumfries
- 7-eleven 34558j, manassas
- 7-eleven 39313a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven inc f 10646a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 10654a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 10767a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven inc f 10776a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven inc f 15800d, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 16223a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven inc f 16335a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 19125a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven inc f 20412a, haymarket
- 7-eleven inc f 22511a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven inc f 28504a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 32223a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 32286a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 32632a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 32687a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven inc f 32965a, dale city
- 7-eleven inc f 32977a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc f 33096a, gainesville
- 7-eleven inc f 33955a, gainesville
- 7-eleven store 30487c, woodbridge
- 7-eleven, inc. 34910j, dumfries
- 7-eleven, inc. 34914h, woodbridge
- 7-eleven #10756c 10756c, woodbridge
- 7-eleven #10783b 10783b, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 10634e 10634e, manassas
- 7-eleven 10789b, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 18467c 18467c, nokesville
- 7-eleven 26082a 26082a, dumfries
- 7-eleven 26941c, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 30484c 30484c, dumfries
- 7-eleven 32767, dumfries
- 7-eleven 34916c 34916c, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 36762a, woodbridge
- 7-eleven 36771a, manassas
- 7-eleven 37065a 37065a, bristow
- 7-eleven 37077a, manassas
- 7-eleven 37108a, gainesville
- 7-eleven 37230a 37230a, manassas
- 7-eleven inc. 26058b, woodbridge
- a & m market, quantico
- aplus 40038h, manassas
- aplus 40043h, manassas
- connies mart, triangle
- hi mart, manassas
- ocampo inc, manassas
- sheetz 205, haymarket
- sheetz 244, woodbridge
- sheetz 270, manassas park
- sheetz 579, manassas
- sheetz 595, manassas
- sheetz 606, woodbridge
- sheetz 630, bristow
- sheetz 653, woodbridge
- sheetz 681, woodbridge
- sheetz 749, manassas
- sheetz 823, gainesville
- smoketown shell, woodbridge
- united bazaar grocery and halal, manassas
- wawa 651, gainesville
- wawa 661, woodbridge
- wawa 662, woodbridge
- wawa food market 680, woodbridge
- wawa store 6612, dumfries
- wawa store 8637, manassas
- wawa store 8658 8658, manassas
Combination Grocery/Other · 43
- best desi bazaar 0553320, woodbridge
- betaneya grocery, woodbridge
- cvs 2019, montclair
- cvs 8966, haymarket
- cvs pharmacy 1391, woodbridge
- cvs pharmacy 2009, woodbridge
- cvs pharmacy 3018, manassas park
- cvs pharmacy 1404, woodbridge
- cvs pharmacy 1733, manassas
- cvs pharmacy 1832, dale city
- cvs pharmacy 5928, gainesville
- cvs pharmacy 6852, woodbridge
- cvs pharmacy 794, bristow
- dollar general 3576, dumfries
- dollartree 10323, manassas
- dollar general 0109, manassas
- dollar general 15367, woodbridge
- dollar general 18126, nokesville
- dollar general 21480, woodbridge
- dollar tree 1033, dumfries
- dollar tree 181, manassas
- dollar tree 1890, woodbridge
- dollar tree 397, woodbridge
- dollar tree 6398, woodbridge
- dollar tree 6564, manassas park
- dollar tree 7440, woodbridge
- dollar tree 7722, gainesville
- emaye ethipian market and carryout, woodbridge
- family dollar 8431, woodbridge
- family dollar 8739, woodbridge
- family dollar store 3721, manassas
- family dollar store 6070, woodbridge
- global foods warehouse, woodbridge
- walgreens 10822, gainesville
- walgreens 11234, manassas
- walgreens 11299, woodbridge
- walgreens 12167, bristow
- walgreens 13012, manassas
- walgreens 13790, woodbridge
- walgreens 17858, dumfries
- wigss global food llc n/a, woodbridge
- yegna market, woodbridge
- zam zam market, woodbridge
Super Store · 34
- americana grocery 4, woodbridge
- b js wholesale club 41, woodbridge
- bjs wholesale club 360, gainesville
- costco wholesale 0225, manassas
- costco wholesale 0626, woodbridge
- fresh world woodbridge, inc., woodbridge
- giant food 257, gainesville
- giant food 741, dale city
- giant food 754, woodbridge
- giant food store 239, manassas
- global food, manassas
- global food, woodbridge
- harris teeter 313, bristow
- harris teeter 316, manassas
- harris teeter 338, gainesville
- lidl 1031, woodbridge
- lidl 1059, dumfries
- lidl 1132, manassas
- lidl 1583, woodbridge
- mom's organic market 13, woodbridge
- mega mart big plaza, manassas
- oh market international food, manassas
- super giant 790, haymarket
- sam's club 6371, woodbridge
- target store 2017, dumfries
- target stores 759, woodbridge
- todos neighborhood market, woodbridge
- target 2323, manassas
- target store 1873, gainesville
- todos neighborhood market, woodbridge
- walmart 3077, haymarket
- walmart supercenter 1825, manassas
- walmart supercenter 1852, woodbridge
- walmart supercenter 3588, dumfries
Supermarket · 25
- aldi 24, woodbridge
- aldi 71097 71097, woodbridge
- aldi 71189, haymarket
- aldi 80071, dumfries
- aldi inc 02, manassas
- fair price international market, woodbridge
- food lion 1208, manassas
- food lion 1226, woodbridge
- food lion 1249, dumfries
- food lion 1261, woodbridge
- food lion 1471, dumfries
- food lion 1572, woodbridge
- food lion 2518, lake ridge
- food lion 2597, manassas
- giant food 781, woodbridge
- safeway 1298, woodbridge
- safeway 1331, woodbridge
- safeway 1702, dale city
- safeway 2635, bristow
- sprouts farmers market 887, manassas
- sprouts farmers market 894, haymarket
- u mart, dumfries
- wegmans 42, gainesville
- wegmans 55, woodbridge
- wegmans carlyle 142, alexandria
Medium Grocery Store · 22
- ali grocery & halal meat, woodbridge
- afghanistan market no, woodbridge
- ansaf global halal food, manassas
- birago international market inc, woodbridge
- fairway supermarket corporation, woodbridge
- fresh international market, manassas
- g.i.g.a.t.t. african international market, llc n/a, manassas
- gainesville halal market, gainesville
- international market 2, gainesville
- junior market llc, woodbridge
- kabul halal market, woodbridge
- king halal market 1, dumfries
- la despensa grocery and deli, woodbridge
- madina halal supermarket, woodbridge
- mexico lindo market, manassas
- new pak bazaar grocery, woodbridge
- prime halal 1, manassas
- sepho's, woodbridge
- taza bazar, woodbridge
- wellington market, manassas
- wigs global food, woodbridge
- woodbridge international market, woodbridge
Small Grocery Store · 5
- alsham inc, manassas
- asian mart, haymarket
- heba health food, manassas
- mediterranean market, woodbridge
- turkuaz mart, manassas
Farmers' Market · 3
- dale city farmers market, woodbridge
- dumfries farmers market, dumfries
- prince william farmers market, woodbridge
Large Grocery Store · 2
- kumasi supermarket inc, woodbridge
- tema african & caribbean mkt, dumfries
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- virginia meat, manassas
Military Commissary · 1
- quantico commissary 2429, quantico
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Prince William County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Prince William 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 William County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Prince William County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Prince William County? ▼
Is Prince William County a food desert? ▼
What share of Prince William 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.