PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Rhea County, TN

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Rhea 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).

21.2%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
17.0%
on SNAP
34K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

21.2% of Rhea County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
7.0%
households, no vehicle
15.9%
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 Rhea County's low-access share at 21.2%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,751 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,701 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 Rhea County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rhea County's 21.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 49% of them and ranked #1,587 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Rhea County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Rhea County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Rhea County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 0% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Rhea County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Rhea County vs. other Tennessee counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Rhea County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)31,809
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,751
Low-Access Share21.2%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,701

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Rhea County
IndicatorValue
Population33,992
Median Household Income$55,033
Poverty Rate15.9%above the national average
SNAP Households2,297
SNAP Participation Rate17.0%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Rhea County 17.0%

About 17.0% of Rhea County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 17.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,297 households here.
  • 7.0% 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 Rhea County

above the national share

2 of Rhea County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 6,751 residents, roughly 21.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,701 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Rhea County

Rhea County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 16 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • dollar general 18944, spring city
  • dollar general 331, spring city
  • dollar general 4498, dayton
  • dollar general 48, dayton
  • dollartree 9223, dayton
  • dollar general 16416, evensville
  • dollar general 17994, graysville
  • dollar general 20318, dayton
  • dollar general 22632, dayton
  • dollar general 24307, spring city
  • dollar general 24740, grandview
  • dollar tree 2592, dayton
  • family dollar 13257, evensville
  • family dollar store 2640, spring city
  • family dollar store 390, dayton
  • walgreens 11634, dayton

Convenience Store · 16

  • 27 market, spring city
  • b & e convenience store, dayton
  • blackburn's kountry korner, dayton
  • circle k 4703622, dayton
  • deli-mart, evensville
  • highway 68 market, spring city
  • iansmarket86, graysville
  • j & l market, spring city
  • lovely market, dayton
  • murphy usa 7791, dayton
  • rocky food mart, dayton
  • rocky springs mart, spring city
  • rocky top markets 922, spring city
  • sp market 1, spring city
  • the local market 140, dayton
  • welcome market, dayton

Supermarket · 3

  • food city 724, dayton
  • houchens save -a- lot 196, dayton
  • piggly wiggly, spring city

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • la hacienda market, dayton
  • tienda valencia 2, dayton

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • we care food cooperative, dayton

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • lee ann's fruit mkt, spring city

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • united grocery outlet 18, dayton

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • american pride produce market, dayton

Super Store · 1

  • walmart store 619, dayton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Blount County
30.1% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP

Compare Rhea County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Rhea County sits inside Tennessee (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Rhea County has low food access? ▼
21.2% of residents in Rhea County, TN live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Rhea County? ▼
17.0% of households in Rhea County receive SNAP, covering 2,297 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Rhea County? ▼
The poverty rate in Rhea County, TN is 15.9%, with a median household income of $55,033 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Rhea County a food desert? ▼
2 of Rhea County's 6 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Rhea County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.0% of households in Rhea County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.