County food-access profile · West Virginia
Raleigh County, WV
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Raleigh 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).
- 38.6%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 19.3%
- on SNAP
- 73K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
38.6% of Raleigh County residents live in a low-access area, and 7 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 13K
- food-desert residents
- 8.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 22.8%
- 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 Raleigh County's low-access share at 38.6%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 17 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 30,418 people. 7 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,405 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 Raleigh County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Raleigh County's 38.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #458 most-affected nationwide.
Raleigh County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 census tracts in Raleigh County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Raleigh County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Raleigh
Raleigh County, WV
38.6 % 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 | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 78,859 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 7 |
| Low-Access Population | 30,418 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,405 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 73,195 |
| Median Household Income | $52,150 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.8%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,591 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.6% |
About 19.3% of Raleigh County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 38.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,591 households here.
- 8.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 7 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 Raleigh County
above the national share
7 of Raleigh County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 41.2% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 30,418 residents, roughly 38.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,405 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (35.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Raleigh County
Raleigh County has 93 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 49 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 49
- ansted shell, beckley
- b & b discount 1, beckley
- butchs 2 inc, clear creek
- co mac 1, beckley
- corner shop, beckley
- flowers bakery outlet 446, beckley
- go mart 102, glen daniel
- go mart 40, sophia
- go mart 50, beckley
- go mart 56, beckley
- go mart 63, beaver
- go mart 78, macarthur
- go mart 87, mount hope
- go mart 88, beckley
- hartshorn mini mart inc, fairdale
- little general 3000, beckley
- little general store 2165, daniels
- little general 2045, crab orchard
- little general 2075, beckley
- little general 2270, beckley
- little general 2315, beckley
- little general 2350, beckley
- little general 2360, glen daniel
- little general 2365, rock creek
- little general 2375, macarthur
- little general 2390, beckley
- little general 2435, bradley
- little general 2480, beckley
- little general 2495, ghent
- little general 3015, beckley
- little general 7555, beckley
- little general 7560, glen morgan
- little general store 7755, beaver
- little general store 7780, beaver
- little general store 7785, beckley
- one stop 8006, whitesville
- one stop 8133, sophia
- one stop 8533, daniels
- par mar store 179, ghent
- par mar store 215, beaver
- par mar store 228, whitesville
- quick check 2, cool ridge
- quick check 3, shady spring
- sheetz 457, bradley
- sheetz 473, beaver
- sheetz 482, beckley
- sheetz 561, beckley
- shop rite, shady spring
- the corner store, piney view
Combination Grocery/Other · 31
- big lots 3095, beckley
- cvs pharmacy 6305, beckley
- cvs pharmacy 7792, beckley
- cvs pharmacy 6312, beckley
- cvs pharmacy inc 6313, beaver
- dollar general 13671, shady spring
- dollar general 14031, mount hope
- dollar general 4752, coal city
- dollartree 10717, beckley
- dollar general 0589, beckley
- dollar general 11055, beckley
- dollar general 11484, sophia
- dollar general 11601, beckley
- dollar general 20927, cool ridge
- dollar general 21039, beckley
- dollar general 2270, beckley
- dollar general 25225, lester
- dollar general 4445, glen daniel
- dollar general 820, sophia
- dollar general 8637, daniels
- dollar general store 17428, ghent
- dollar tree 1124, beckley
- dollar tree 7541, sophia
- dollar tree 8816, daniels
- family dollar 12071, rock creek
- family dollar store 305, beckley
- family dollar store 6952, beckley
- family dollar store 7067, glen daniel
- tonys quality meats, beckley
- walgreens 10928, beaver
- walgreens 11978, beckley
Super Store · 6
- kroger 770, beaver
- kroger 790, beckley
- kroger 805, beckley
- sam's club 4860, beckley
- walmart supercenter 1351, beckley
- walmart supercenter 5319, macarthur
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 61089, beckley
- cornerstone iga, daniels
- food lion 1197, sophia
- food lion 771, beckley
- ricks supermarket, glen daniel
Small Grocery Store · 2
- tayas and abrahams international grocery, beckley
- the butcher block, glen morgan
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Raleigh County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Raleigh 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 Raleigh County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Raleigh County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Raleigh County? ▼
Is Raleigh County a food desert? ▼
What share of Raleigh 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.