County food-access profile · South Carolina
Richland County, SC
Richland County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 46.5%
- low-access pop.
- 26
- food-desert tracts
- 10.6%
- on SNAP
- 422K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
46.5% of Richland County residents live in a low-access area, and 26 of its 89 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 56
- low-access tracts
- 65K
- food-desert residents
- 7.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.2%
- 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).
Richland County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 46.5% is well above the national share. 56 of the county's 89 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 178,755 people. 26 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 65,395 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 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: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 89 census tracts in Richland County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Richland County vs. other South Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Carolina
- Richland
Richland County, SC
46.5 % low-access
- Abbeville
Abbeville County, SC
20.4 % low-access
- Aiken
Aiken County, SC
29.1 % low-access
- Allendale 2.3
Allendale County, SC
2.3 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, SC
36.1 % low-access
- Bamberg
Bamberg County, SC
27.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 10.6% of Richland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 46.5% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 17,881 households here.
- 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 26 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 Richland County
well above the national share
26 of Richland County's 89 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 29.2% of all its tracts.
A further 30 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 56.
An estimated 178,755 residents, roughly 46.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 65,395 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 33 tracts (37.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in South Carolina
Compare Richland County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, South Carolina in context
Richland County sits inside South 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 Richland County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Richland County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Richland County? ▼
Is Richland County a food desert? ▼
What share of Richland 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.