County food-access profile · West Virginia
Putnam County, WV
Putnam 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.
- 18.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.9%
- on SNAP
- 57K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.1% of Putnam County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.6%
- 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).
Putnam County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.1% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,063 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Putnam County compares nationally
Putnam County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.1% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,854).
Putnam County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Putnam County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Putnam County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Putnam
Putnam County, WV
18.1 % low-access
- Barbour 11.4
Barbour County, WV
11.4 % low-access
- Berkeley
Berkeley County, WV
38.8 % low-access
- Boone 6.6
Boone County, WV
6.6 % low-access
- Braxton
Braxton County, WV
18.3 % low-access
- Brooke
Brooke County, WV
16.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 55,486 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,063 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,224 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 57,177 |
| Median Household Income | $79,527 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,998 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
About 12.9% of Putnam County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,998 households here.
- 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $79,527 with a 10.6% poverty rate.
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 Putnam County
near the national share
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 10,063 residents, roughly 18.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,224 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Putnam County
Putnam County has 62 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 31
- buffalo tiger mart 184, buffalo
- clark's pump-n-shop 13, winfield
- eleanor exxon, eleanor
- go mart 25, hurricane
- go mart 43, teays
- go mart 80, hurricane
- go mart 83, poca
- hill quick stop, red house
- little general 5015, winfield
- little general 5100, hurricane
- little general 5102, hurricane
- little general 5105, hurricane
- one stop 8135, nitro
- par mar store 17, hurricane
- par mar store 182, hurricane
- par mar store 222, saint albans
- pilot travel center 243, nitro
- poca quick stop, poca
- rock branch exxon 122, poca
- speedway 9328, hurricane
- sheetz 433, hurricane
- sheetz 467, hurricane
- sheetz 494, scott depot
- sheetz 517, poca
- speedway 9233, nitro
- speedway 9352, scott depot
- speedway 9363, winfield
- speedway 9384, culloden
- stokes grocery inc., buffalo
- ta hurricane 149, hurricane
- winfield quick stop, winfield
Combination Grocery/Other · 21
- cvs pharmacy 7124, hurricane
- call's meat market, hurricane
- dollar general 10429, buffalo
- dollar general 0612, hurricane
- dollar general 2092, nitro
- dollar general 22896, eleanor
- dollar general 30055, winfield
- dollar general 30577, hurricane
- dollar general 31066, scott depot
- dollar general 3334, teays
- dollar general 4830, poca
- dollar general 6080, winfield
- dollar tree 1018, hurricane
- dollar tree 4980, hurricane
- fruth pharmacy 10, hurricane
- fruth pharmacy 13, winfield
- fruth pharmacy 23, scott depot
- walgreens 12678, hurricane
- walgreens 17274, eleanor
- walgreens 17409, hurricane
- yoyogi market, hurricane
Super Store · 3
- kroger 794, scott depot
- target store t2897, hurricane
- walmart 4277, hurricane
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 81, hurricane
- piggly wiggly of eleanor, eleanor
- poca supermarket, poca
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- blankenship grocery, buffalo
- farmers meats & deli, llc, winfield
Large Grocery Store · 1
- save a lot, scott depot
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- joe's farm meat mkt., hurricane
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Putnam County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Putnam County sits inside West 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 Putnam County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Putnam County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Putnam County? ▼
Is Putnam County a food desert? ▼
What share of Putnam 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.