County food-access profile · Virginia
Pulaski County, VA
Pulaski County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 11.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 15.5%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.2% of Pulaski County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 4.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.4%
- 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).
Pulaski County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.2% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,900 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,361 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 Pulaski County compares nationally
Pulaski County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.2% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,400).
Pulaski County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Pulaski County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Pulaski County vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Pulaski
Pulaski County, VA
11.2 % 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 | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 34,872 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,900 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,361 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 33,687 |
| Median Household Income | $62,028 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,239 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.1% |
About 15.5% of Pulaski County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,239 households here.
- 4.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Pulaski County
near the national share
2 of Pulaski County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,900 residents, roughly 11.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,361 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Pulaski County
Pulaski County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 19
- aplus 40063h, dublin
- circle k 2723711, dublin
- cougar xpress, pulaski
- dublin station, dublin
- fast shop 2, pulaski
- fast shop, pulaski
- flowers bakery outlet 467, fairlawn
- goose creek market, dublin
- gobble stop 12, dublin
- gobble stop 14, dublin
- gobble stop 15, dublin
- gobble stop 16, pulaski
- gobble stop 17, pulaski
- joy mart, pulaski
- saimart-1 1, draper
- sheetz 358, fairlawn
- shop-eez marathon, pulaski
- speedway 4624, pulaski
- stop in food stores 8142, dublin
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 3503, pulaski
- dollartree plus 8903, dublin
- dollar general 2616, pulaski
- dollar general 3116, pulaski
- dollar general 6394, dublin
- dollar tree 1311, fairlawn
- dollar tree 329, pulaski
- family dollar 12484, dublin
- walgreens 10924, pulaski
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2
- poor boys produce & plants, pulaski
- ta produce, dublin
Super Store · 2
- kroger 215, fairlawn
- walmart supercenter 1652, dublin
Supermarket · 2
- food city 859, pulaski
- food lion 1066, pulaski
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Pulaski County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Pulaski 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 Pulaski County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pulaski County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Pulaski County? ▼
Is Pulaski County a food desert? ▼
What share of Pulaski 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.