County food-access profile · Georgia
Rabun County, GA
Most of Rabun County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 0.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.2%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
0.6% of Rabun County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 14
- food-desert residents
- 4.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.1%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Rabun County fares better than most: just 0.6% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 5 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 95 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Rabun County compares nationally
Food access in Rabun County compares favorably nationally: its 0.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 3% of them (rank #3,047).
Rabun County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Rabun County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Rabun County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Rabun 0.6
Rabun County, GA
0.6 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,276 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 95 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,312 |
| Median Household Income | $67,493 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 550 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 7.2% of Rabun County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 0.6% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 550 households here.
- 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $67,493 with a 13.1% 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 Rabun County
below the national share
An estimated 95 residents, roughly 0.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
None of Rabun County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.
SNAP retailers in Rabun County
Rabun County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 7759, clayton
- dollar general 11950, clayton
- dollar general 21641, dillard
- dollar general 23775, tiger
- dollar tree 7343, clayton
- family dollar 874, clayton
- walgreens 12464, clayton
Convenience Store · 7
- circle m food shop 43, rabun gap
- clipper 25, clayton
- jp dillard 271, dillard
- rabun oil company, rabun gap
- race trac 455, clayton
- racetrac 2674, clayton
- i-market 788, clayton
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2753, clayton
Supermarket · 1
- ingles markets 488, clayton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Rabun County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Rabun County sits inside Georgia (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 Rabun County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Rabun County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Rabun County? ▼
Is Rabun County a food desert? ▼
What share of Rabun 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.