Signature · 46.5% low-access (92nd pct)
Richland County, SC
Richland County sits in the upper national band on low-access (46.5%, +24.4 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 46.5%
- low-access pop.
- 26
- food-desert tracts
- 10.6%
- on SNAP
- 422K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Richland County, SC
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 46.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +24.4 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 26 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.6% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 29% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Beaufort County (+ 2.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Richland County sits in the upper national band (46.5%, #255 of 3,079) with 26 LILA tracts.
- #255
- national by low-access %
- #2
- in SC
- 56
- low-access tracts
- 65K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 46.5% low-access (92nd pct) (+24.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Richland County compares nationally
Richland County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 46.5% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #255 most-affected nationwide.
Richland County's elevated USDA tier split
89 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 26 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Richland County has 82 urban and 7 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Richland County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in South Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Beaufort
Beaufort 49%
49 % low-access
- Richland
Richland 46.5%
46.5 % low-access
- Pickens
Pickens 42.6%
42.6 % low-access
- Colleton
Colleton 38%
38 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson 36.1%
36.1 % low-access
- Barnwell 0
Barnwell 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 89 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 384,504 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 56 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 26 |
| Low-Access Population | 178,755 |
| Low-Access Share | 46.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 65,395 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 422,117 |
| Median Household Income | $63,784 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 17,881 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Richland County
Richland County has 373 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 155 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 155
- 5 star mini mart, columbia
- 7-eleven 39194, columbia
- 7-eleven #42012a 42012a, blythewood
- 7up mini mart, columbia
- a & p foodmart 1, columbia
- a & p foodmart 2, columbia
- a & p foodmart 3, columbia
- a one express na, columbia
- aameen llc, columbia
- abney seafood llc, columbia
- african flower, columbia
- ahmed 1, columbia
- am pm 4, columbia
- beer and tobacco outlet, columbia
- beltline one love, columbia
- bp mart, columbia
- brotherhood market columbia grocery, columbia
- bucks sports shop 'n' market, columbia
- c k mart 8, columbia
- c.k. mart #6 6, columbia
- city food mart, columbia
- carolina pantry 2, columbia
- cheap way, columbia
- cheap way, columbia
- cheap way, columbia
- cheapway, columbia
- cheapway, columbia
- circle k 2706772, columbia
- circle k 2706775, columbia
- circle k 2706777, columbia
- circle k 2706780, columbia
- circle k 2722226, columbia
- circle k 2723485, columbia
- circle k 2723837, columbia
- circle k 272453, columbia
- circle k 272822, columbia
- circle k 272849, columbia
- circle k 3105, columbia
- circle k 3269, irmo
- circle k 5135, columbia
- circle k 5361, columbia
- circle k store 5134, columbia
- circle k store 5143, columbia
- circle k store 5144, columbia
- circle k store 5183, columbia
- circle k store 5347, columbia
- ck mart 11, columbia
- coast clemson road 34, columbia
- coast devine street 35, columbia
- coast farrow road 33, columbia
- coast saint andrews road 32, columbia
- college quick mart, columbia
- community mart, columbia
- corner pantry 101, columbia
- corner pantry 102, irmo
- corner pantry 106, columbia
- corner pantry 110, columbia
- corner pantry 111, hopkins
- corner pantry 126, columbia
- corner pantry 133, columbia
- corner pantry 136, columbia
- corner stop, columbia
- corner stop 205, columbia
- crossroad community convenience, eastover
- cw meat market, columbia
- de leon produce 2, columbia
- ez food mart, columbia
- eagle express, columbia
- eastover food mart, eastover
- easy spot, columbia
- el cheapo, columbia
- el cheapo, columbia
- elsa mart, columbia
- express lotto 4, columbia
- express lotto no 5, columbia
- express pantry, columbia
- fairfield market, columbia
- fateh food mart ii, columbia
- food fare store, columbia
- food mart no, columbia
- friarsgate 39944, irmo
- gadsden community store, gadsden
- gamecock general at campus village, columbia
- gas way, columbia
- gaz bah mini shop 305, columbia
- gaz bah mini shops 303, columbia
- gaz bah mini shops 307, columbia
- gf food mart, columbia
- hb mart, columbia
- harrys 4, columbia
- hosanna energy mart, columbia
- in and out market, columbia
- j mart, elgin
- jai ambe management llc, columbia
- jaya one llc, columbia
- jk mart, columbia
- khodear maa, columbia
- king fuel, columbia
- kings beverage, columbia
- krishnaprapti llc, columbia
- kruti mart, columbia
- kwik korner, columbia
- l b mart, columbia
- leesburg convenience sales, llc, columbia
- li'l cricket 3879, columbia
- longreen parkway 39934, columbia
- love's travel stop 657, cayce
- lucky stop, columbia
- mama's mart & subs, columbia
- mercadito latino, columbia
- midway one stop, eastover
- moms mart, columbia
- murphy express 8537, columbia
- murphy express 8538, columbia
- murphy express 8873, hopkins
- murphy express 8886, irmo
- murphy express 8902, columbia
- murphy express 8924, columbia
- murphy express 8935, columbia
- murphy express 8943, columbia
- murphy usa 6615, columbia
- murphy usa 7474, irmo
- murphy usa 8592, columbia
- murphy usa 8950, columbia
- om mart, eastover
- one love, columbia
- one love party shop, columbia
- one stop 1, columbia
- one stop of columbia, columbia
- one stop shell, columbia
- orange party shop, columbia
- pmg bw 201, blythewood
- pmg bw 202, blythewood
- pmg bw 204, blythewood
- pmg bw 207, blythewood
- pmg bw 208, columbia
- pmg bw 209, blythewood
- pmg bw 210, columbia
- pmg bw 801, blythewood
- palm pantry#14, hopkins
- palmetto market, columbia
- pantry plus, columbia
- parklane mini mart, columbia
- percival grocery, columbia
- petro columbia 238, columbia
- pilot travel center 712, columbia
- piney express food mart llc, columbia
- pinkal llc, columbia
- pitt stop 10, columbia
- pitt stop 13, irmo
- pitt stop 2, irmo
- pitt stop 28, elgin
- pitt stop 3, blythewood
- pitt stop 30, columbia
- pitt stop 33, columbia
Combination Grocery/Other · 95
- asian market, columbia
- big lots 3299, columbia
- bharat bazaar, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 1200, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 2250, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 3850, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 5576, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 7011, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 7012, ballentine
- cvs pharmacy 830, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 2269, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 3849, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 4114, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 5596, columbia
- cvs pharmacy 7516, columbia
- dollar general 0969, columbia
- dollar general 10418, columbia
- dollar general 10749, columbia
- dollar general 10768, columbia
- dollar general 11042, elgin
- dollar general 14459, columbia
- dollar general 2757, columbia
- dollar general 2828, irmo
- dollar general 3090, columbia
- dollar general 3101, hopkins
- dollar general 3551, columbia
- dollar general 3654, columbia
- dollar general 6660, columbia
- dollar general 6664, eastover
- dollar general 8950, columbia
- dollar general 9530, hopkins
- dollar general 9717, blythewood
- dollar tree 0463, columbia
- dollar tree 1769, columbia
- dollar tree 2912, columbia
- dollartree 10669, irmo
- dollartree 11031, columbia
- dollartree 8171, columbia
- dollartree 8603, columbia
- dollar general 10524, columbia
- dollar general 10635, irmo
- dollar general 12686, columbia
- dollar general 12849, columbia
- dollar general 13016, columbia
- dollar general 15339, columbia
- dollar general 20026, columbia
- dollar general 22577, columbia
- dollar general 23711, columbia
- dollar general 9468, columbia
- dollar general store 16439, gadsden
- dollar tree 0890, columbia
- dollar tree 2453, irmo
- dollar tree 430, columbia
- dollar tree 4446, columbia
- dollar tree 5332, columbia
- dollar tree 7498, columbia
- dollar tree 7886, columbia
- dollartree 8933, hopkins
- family dollar store 4333, columbia
- family dollar 10100, columbia
- family dollar 11260, columbia
- family dollar 11422, columbia
- family dollar 11795, columbia
- family dollar 1213, columbia
- family dollar 12309, columbia
- family dollar 1237, columbia
- family dollar 150, columbia
- family dollar 2724, columbia
- family dollar 6759, columbia
- family dollar 6760, columbia
- family dollar store 10310, columbia
- family dollar store 10917, columbia
- family dollar store 239, columbia
- family dollar store 254, columbia
- family dollar store 497, columbia
- family dollar store 5921, columbia
- family dollar store 7536, columbia
- ole timey meats spring valley, columbia
- roses 567, columbia
- t j fish market, columbia
- taste of the town, columbia
- walgreen 09487, columbia
- walgreen 09805, irmo
- walgreen 10227, columbia
- walgreens 06136, columbia
- walgreens 06262, columbia
- walgreens 10226, irmo
- walgreens 10228, columbia
- walgreens 11379, columbia
- walgreens 11433, columbia
- walgreens 11586, columbia
- walgreens 12478, columbia
- walgreens 12677, columbia
- walgreens 17066, columbia
- walgreens 17457, columbia
Showing 250 of 373 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in South Carolina
One of 45 counties in South Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Richland County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Counties near Richland County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Richland County, both outside South Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside SC (46.5% here).
- Juab County, UT · 46.5% low-access
- Juab County, UT · 46.5% low-access
- Hampshire County, MA · 46.5% low-access
- Hampshire County, MA · 46.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside SC (10.6% here).
- Roberts County, SD · 10.6% SNAP
- Roberts County, SD · 10.6% SNAP
- Callahan County, TX · 10.6% SNAP
- Callahan County, TX · 10.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Richland County inside a higher low-access state context
Richland County sits inside South Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Richland County, SC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 45079. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.