Signature · 3 LILA tracts (75% of tracts)
Roane County, WV
Roane County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (75% of the book) alongside 23.5% low-access.
- 23.5%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 21.8%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Roane County, WV
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 23.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.4 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 21.8% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 10.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 75% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Calhoun County (+ 0.7 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Roane County ranks #1,402 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #17 of 52 counties in WV (23.5% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,402
- national by low-access %
- #17
- in WV
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (75% of tracts) .
How Roane County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Roane County's 23.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,402 most-affected nationwide.
Roane County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Roane County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Roane County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Gilmer
Gilmer 81.6%
81.6 % low-access
- Preston 24.9
Preston 24.9%
24.9 % low-access
- Calhoun 24.2
Calhoun 24.2%
24.2 % low-access
- Roane 23.5
Roane 23.5%
23.5 % low-access
- Summers 22.2
Summers 22.2%
22.2 % low-access
- Greenbrier 21.2
Greenbrier 21.2%
21.2 % low-access
- Pleasants 0
Pleasants 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 14,926 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,503 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.5%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,888 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,786 |
| Median Household Income | $45,778 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,245 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.5%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
SNAP retailers in Roane County
Roane County has 14 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (64% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 14 authorized stores; Spencer holds 64% of them. 4 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Walton, Amma, Newton, Reedy.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer | 9 | 1 |
| Walton | 2 | none |
| Amma | 1 | none |
| Newton | 1 | none |
| Reedy | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- carpenter's general store, spencer
- go mart 5, spencer
- little general 4200, spencer
- mountain market, walton
- par mar store 199, amma
- reedy grocery & more llc, reedy
- spencer handimart, spencer
- the newton store llc, newton
- walton mercantile and hardware, walton
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 929, spencer
- dollar tree 7304, spencer
- fruth pharmacy 18, spencer
- spencer cash saver 1165, spencer
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2810, spencer
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in West Virginia
One of 54 counties in West Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Roane County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Roane County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Roane County, both outside West Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WV (23.5% here).
- Snohomish County, WA · 23.5% low-access
- Kittitas County, WA · 23.5% low-access
- Nolan County, TX · 23.5% low-access
- Hale County, TX · 23.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WV (21.8% here).
- Russell County, VA · 21.8% SNAP
- Val Verde County, TX · 21.8% SNAP
- Wasco County, OR · 21.8% SNAP
- McIntosh County, GA · 21.8% 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.
West Virginia among South Atlantic states
West Virginia ranks 7th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (21.3%). Roane County, at 23.5%, runs 2.2 pts above the West Virginia rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Roane County, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54087. 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.