County food-access profile · Virginia
Richmond city, VA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Richmond city 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).
- 21.1%
- low-access pop.
- 13
- food-desert tracts
- 15.1%
- on SNAP
- 229K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
21.1% of Richmond city residents live in a low-access area, and 13 of its 66 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 23
- low-access tracts
- 13K
- food-desert residents
- 13.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.2%
- 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).
USDA data puts Richmond city's low-access share at 21.1%, above the national share. 23 of the county's 66 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 43,064 people. 13 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,314 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 Richmond city compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Richmond city's 21.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 49% of them and ranked #1,597 most-affected nationwide.
Richmond city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 66 census tracts in Richmond city, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Richmond city vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Richmond city
Richmond city, VA
21.1 % low-access
- Accomack 2.2
Accomack County, VA
2.2 % low-access
- Albemarle
Albemarle County, VA
11.9 % low-access
- Alexandria city 0
Alexandria city, VA
0 % low-access
- Alleghany
Alleghany County, VA
16.4 % low-access
- Amelia
Amelia County, VA
16.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 66 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 204,214 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 23 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 13 |
| Low-Access Population | 43,064 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.1%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,314 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 229,359 |
| Median Household Income | $64,587 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 15,789 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 13.0%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.5% |
About 15.1% of Richmond city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 21.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 15,789 households here.
- 13.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 13 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 Richmond city
above the national share
13 of Richmond city's 66 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.7% of all its tracts.
A further 10 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 23.
An estimated 43,064 residents, roughly 21.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,314 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 43 tracts (65.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Richmond city
Richmond city has 220 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 123 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 123
- 250 breeze food mart, richmond
- 25th street market, richmond
- 360 convenience store, richmond
- 360 express mart, richmond
- 7-eleven #11058b 11058b, richmond
- 7-eleven #34547c 34547c, richmond
- 7-eleven 11069j, richmond
- 7-eleven 20465a, warsaw
- 7-eleven 23934j, richmond
- 7-eleven 25518j, richmond
- 7-eleven 30471, richmond
- 7-eleven inc f 26245, richmond
- 7-eleven inc f 26834a, richmond
- 7-eleven store 30480a, richmond
- 7-eleven, inc. 40015j, richmond
- 7-eleven #22350b 22350b, richmond
- 7-eleven #23933b 23933b, richmond
- 7-eleven 18700c 18700c, richmond
- 7-eleven 20728b, richmond
- 7-eleven 23360b, richmond
- 7-eleven 24395b 24395b, richmond
- 7-eleven 25203b, richmond
- 7-eleven 34552a, richmond
- 7-eleven 35882b 35882b, richmond
- 7-eleven 40034a 40034a, richmond
- 701 express, richmond
- 7eleven 11086, richmond
- 80 market, richmond
- a plus 40012h, richmond
- a z express, richmond
- aplus 40009h, richmond
- aplus 40013h, richmond
- ajm food mart 1603, richmond
- bana mini mart 1, richmond
- bells pit stop 537, richmond
- belt boulevard bp, richmond
- belt boulevard express, richmond
- best food mart, richmond
- bp food store, richmond
- break time food mart, richmond
- broadway market place, richmond
- cannon express mart, richmond
- carolina express, richmond
- cary st bp amoco, richmond
- cary st mini mart, richmond
- cash & carry market, richmond
- check in express 1, richmond
- chippenham bp, richmond
- city limits convenience, richmond
- clay st market inc, richmond
- college mart 1, richmond
- commerce market n deli, richmond
- cool mart 1, richmond
- d & h food mart, richmond
- davis market, richmond
- e&c enterprises inc va648 2251, warsaw
- exxon foodmart, richmond
- fas mart 55, richmond
- fas mart 72, richmond
- fas mart 75, richmond
- fas mart 79, richmond
- fas mart 86, richmond
- fast mart & deli 1, richmond
- feebee ventures inc., richmond
- flowers bakery outlet 376, richmond
- freedom food mart 13, richmond
- golden eagle market, richmond
- golden food market, richmond
- goldies, richmond
- goldys, richmond
- grab & go, richmond
- halifax convenience, richmond
- harrison minimart, richmond
- hopkins store, richmond
- hull st market, richmond
- idlewood market, richmond
- island hub caribbean market, richmond
- james food store, richmond
- jin's market, richmond
- jack rabbit convenience store, richmond
- john's mart, richmond
- k h m convenience store, richmond
- la placita mini market 1, richmond
- main street market, richmond
- market place, richmond
- market place 14, richmond
- may mart, richmond
- mega bodega, richmond
- mini mart 1, richmond
- mo convenience store, richmond
- mo convenience store 2, richmond
- monte alban, richmond
- north avenue market & deli 1, richmond
- quick trip, richmond
- quik stop, richmond
- raceway 6794, richmond
- red mini mart, richmond
- royal convenience store, richmond
- s & s fast mart, richmond
- sms market, richmond
- sunny market, richmond
- sheetz 775, richmond
- shop & go, richmond
- six point express mart, richmond
- stop and go, richmond
- sunoco gas station, richmond
- sunrise market inc, richmond
- sureway mart 1, richmond
- thomas store, warsaw
- the market place, richmond
- the park express convenience, richmond
- the yellow store, richmond
- tiger chicken express, richmond
- tiger mart, richmond
- variedas latinas, richmond
- virginia commonwealth university (vcu), richmond
- wawa 8615, richmond
- wawa 8635, richmond
- wawa 8648, richmond
- wawa food market 8600, richmond
- west broad shell, richmond
- yogi mart, richmond
- zexpress, richmond
Combination Grocery/Other · 44
- cvs pharmacy 1530, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 1971, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 1975, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 1988, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 1989, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 2973, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 516, richmond
- cvs pharmacy 5986, richmond
- dollar general 13789, richmond
- dollartree 9298, richmond
- dollar general 0389, warsaw
- dollar general 12648, richmond
- dollar general 13122, richmond
- dollar general 15034, richmond
- dollar general 19637, farmham
- dollar general 23027, haynesville
- dollar general 9624, richmond
- dollar tree 0137, richmond
- dollar tree 5281, richmond
- dollar tree 7920, richmond
- dollar tree 8605, warsaw
- family dollar 11750, richmond
- family dollar 12045, richmond
- family dollar 12344, richmond
- family dollar 1377, richmond
- family dollar 1715, richmond
- family dollar 2076, richmond
- family dollar 2859, richmond
- family dollar 5701, richmond
- family dollar 6360, richmond
- family dollar 7976, richmond
- family dollar 9051, richmond
- family dollar store 2375, warsaw
- family dollar store 6591, richmond
- family dollar store 6679, richmond
- good foods grocery, inc, richmond
- libbie market, richmond
- mi pais mart, richmond
- rose's express 1869, richmond
- walgreens 3681, richmond
- walgreens 03682, richmond
- walgreens 10106, richmond
- walgreens 17922, warsaw
- walgreens 3853, richmond
Supermarket · 17
- aldi 80007 80007, richmond
- aldi 80022 80022, richmond
- chimbo supermarket, richmond
- church hill north market llc, richmond
- ellwood thompson's local market, richmond
- food lion 1156, richmond
- food lion 1196, warsaw
- food lion 1240, richmond
- food lion 1318, richmond
- kings supermarket, richmond
- new grand mart mechanicsville, richmond
- publix 1636, richmond
- publix north carolina 1593, richmond
- publix north carolina, lp 1588, richmond
- superfresh, richmond
- the fresh market 139, richmond
- trader joe's richmond 786, richmond
Super Store · 10
- big apple supermarket, richmond
- farm fresh richmond, richmond
- kroger 504, richmond
- kroger 511, richmond
- lidl 1199, richmond
- save a lot, richmond
- target store 1931, richmond
- walmart 7032, henrico
- walmart supercenter 2821, richmond
- whole foods market 10598, richmond
Farmers' Market · 8
- birdhouse farmers market, richmond
- broad rock farmers market, richmond
- carytown farmers market, richmond
- northside farmers market, richmond
- rva black farmers market, richmond
- richmond food justice alliance, richmond
- the farmers market at st. stephen's, richmond
- the northside foodshed, richmond
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- arco iris latino market inc, richmond
- brisas del mar, latino market, inc, richmond
- campo fresh market, richmond
- el nuevo happy mart, richmond
- j d supermarket, richmond
- nuevo rincon latino 2, richmond
Small Grocery Store · 6
- amanecer latino market, richmond
- latinos unidos, richmond
- mini market latino, richmond
- oaxaca llc, richmond
- tortilleria la patrona 1, richmond
- true seeds llc / river city market, richmond
Seafood Specialty · 5
- bay seafood, richmond
- catch of the day seafood, richmond
- crabs direct llc, warsaw
- ocean world seafood market, richmond
- sims seafood, richmond
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- sonya's seafood, richmond
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Richmond city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Richmond city sits inside 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 Richmond city has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Richmond city? ▼
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Is Richmond city a food desert? ▼
What share of Richmond city 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.