Signature · 7.4% SNAP (28th pct in VA)
Roanoke County, VA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Roanoke 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).
- 22.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 97K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Roanoke County, VA
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 22.2% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.1 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Suffolk city (+ 0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Roanoke County ranks #1,516 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #48 of 123 counties in VA (22.2% low-access).
- #1,516
- national by low-access %
- #48
- in VA
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 7.4% SNAP (28th pct in VA) (-4.7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Roanoke County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Roanoke County's 22.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 52% of them and ranked #1,518 most-affected nationwide.
Roanoke County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
18 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Roanoke County has 13 urban and 5 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.
Roanoke County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Colonial Heig… 22.7
Colonial Heig… 22.7%
22.7 % low-access
- Suffolk city 22.4
Suffolk city 22.4%
22.4 % low-access
- Roanoke 22.2
Roanoke 22.2%
22.2 % low-access
- Mecklenburg 21.8
Mecklenburg 21.8%
21.8 % low-access
- Southampton 21.8
Southampton 21.8%
21.8 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 92,376 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,489 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,139 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 97,023 |
| Median Household Income | $83,709 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,930 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Roanoke County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Roanoke County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Roanoke County (7.4%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Virginia.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (22.2% here).
- Navarro County, TX · 22.2% low-access
- Navarro County, TX · 22.2% low-access
- Nacogdoches County, TX · 22.2% low-access
- Nacogdoches County, TX · 22.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (7.4% here).
- Hopkins County, TX · 7.4% SNAP
- Hopkins County, TX · 7.4% SNAP
- Fayette County, TX · 7.4% SNAP
- Fayette County, TX · 7.4% 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.
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Roanoke County sits inside Virginia (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 Roanoke County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51161. 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.