County food-access profile · North Carolina
Randolph County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Randolph 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).
- 23.3%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 15.2%
- on SNAP
- 146K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.3% of Randolph County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
- 3.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.5%
- 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 Randolph County's low-access share at 23.3%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 28 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 33,068 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,537 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 Randolph County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Randolph County's 23.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,421 most-affected nationwide.
Randolph County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 28 census tracts in Randolph County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Randolph County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Randolph
Randolph County, NC
23.3 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 28 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 141,752 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 33,068 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,537 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 146,348 |
| Median Household Income | $61,022 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,752 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 15.2% of Randolph County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,752 households here.
- 3.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Randolph County
above the national share
6 of Randolph County's 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.4% of all its tracts.
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 33,068 residents, roughly 23.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,537 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (60.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Randolph County
Randolph County has 127 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 59 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 59
- 10 mart, trinity
- ak petro inc, asheboro
- aashvi1 inc, randleman
- arbuda ent inc, asheboro
- archdale food mart, archdale
- asheboro bp 101, asheboro
- big jim's grocery store, trinity
- bp mart, asheboro
- c store, asheboro
- charles place, randleman
- circle k 2706315, archdale
- clark grocery, asheboro
- econo mart #1, asheboro
- econo mart #2, asheboro
- express mart 4, archdale
- expressmart, asheboro
- flowers bakery outlet 475, asheboro
- fuel trips #2, seagrove
- gas n go, asheboro
- gas town, asheboro
- gh mart inc, asheboro
- h & m grocery, sophia
- han-dee hugo's 201, ramseur
- han-dee hugo's 202, asheboro
- han-dee hugo's 203, asheboro
- han-dee hugo's 204, randleman
- han-dee hugo's 206, asheboro
- han-dee hugo's 207, asheboro
- han-dee hugo's 210, randleman
- han-dee hugo's 211, asheboro
- hillsville country mart, trinity
- hrut inc, archdale
- kwik stop 3, liberty
- kelly's 49 s230, denton
- la estrella mexican store, asheboro
- la fiesta mexicana, llc, seagrove
- mahalakshmi nc llc, asheboro
- midway mart, sophia
- mountain mart, sophia
- murphy express 8734, asheboro
- new salem convenience store, randleman
- quality mart 7, liberty
- quick 'n easy food store no 12 #12, ramseur
- quick 'n' easy 3, siler city
- quik chek & go, asheboro
- ready mart, asheboro
- ready mart 2, asheboro
- ready mart 3, randleman
- ready mart 6, seagrove
- ready mart inc. 4, asheboro
- sheetz 418, trinity
- sheetz 454, asheboro
- sheetz 472, archdale
- sheetz 673, randleman
- speedway 7942, asheboro
- speedway 7943, asheboro
- tienda el centro 2, asheboro
- trinity mart, trinity
- why not country store, seagrove
Combination Grocery/Other · 35
- big lots 3210, asheboro
- colonial meat service, trinity
- cvs pharmacy 5377, liberty
- cvs pharmacy 7544, asheboro
- cvs pharmacy 7547, troy
- cvs pharmacy 7572, randleman
- cvs pharmacy 3527, asheboro
- cvs pharmacy 7049, archdale
- dollar general 11167, asheboro
- dollar general 14318, trinity
- dollar general 1684, asheboro
- dollar general 1727, archdale
- dollar general 1783, ramseur
- dollar general 19532, ramseur
- dollar general 19643, asheboro
- dollar general 3470, asheboro
- dollar general 4236, randleman
- dollartree 9116, asheboro
- dollar general 15546, trinity
- dollar general 16058, asheboro
- dollar general 17691, asheboro
- dollar general 19811, randleman
- dollar general 22135, asheboro
- dollar general 25967, sophia
- dollar general 30875, asheboro
- dollar general 3942, liberty
- dollar general 9619, seagrove
- dollar tree 1112, randleman
- dollar tree 1164, asheboro
- dollar tree 6755, liberty
- family dollar 13798, trinity
- family dollar 1750, ramseur
- family dollar store 9335, asheboro
- walgreen 09730, asheboro
- walgreens 11327, asheboro
Supermarket · 13
- 372 foods llc, asheboro
- aldi 66043, asheboro
- charlie c's iga 760, ramseur
- el mercado meat market, asheboro
- food lion 1271, liberty
- food lion 352, asheboro
- food lion 387, troy
- food lion 897, archdale
- food lion 946, randleman
- food lion 1513, asheboro
- food lion 47, asheboro
- fresh cuts of seagrove, seagrove
- lowes food store 151, asheboro
Small Grocery Store · 10
- al-madina halal meat & groceries, high point
- el cubano llc, asheboro
- la guerrero gorcery store inc, asheboro
- la michoacana, ramseur
- la tiendita mini market, asheboro
- panaderia y tortilleria la independencia 2 llc, asheboro
- ricon latino 2, asheboro
- tienda mexicana los potrillos, asheboro
- trindale foods, trinity
- whachagot discount groceries, high point
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- gallimore packing plant, trinity
- m & m grocery store, asheboro
- superior groceries, ramseur
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- el ranchero meat market, asheboro
- la posadita 1, asheboro
- rosario loma bonita, ramseur
Super Store · 3
- walmart 1132, asheboro
- walmart 2704, randleman
- walmart neighborhood market 7206, archdale
Bakery Specialty · 1
- enciso bakery co inc, asheboro
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Randolph County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Randolph County sits inside North Carolina (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 Randolph County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Randolph County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Randolph County? ▼
Is Randolph County a food desert? ▼
What share of Randolph 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.