County food-access profile · North Carolina
Rockingham County, NC
Rockingham County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 17.7%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 92K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.7% of Rockingham County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 6.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.3%
- 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).
Rockingham County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.7% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 21 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 16,529 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,220 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 Rockingham County compares nationally
Rockingham County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.7% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,895).
Rockingham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 21 census tracts in Rockingham County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Rockingham County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Rockingham
Rockingham County, NC
17.7 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 21 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 93,643 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 16,529 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,220 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 92,131 |
| Median Household Income | $57,053 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,022 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 17.7% of Rockingham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,022 households here.
- 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Rockingham County
near the national share
5 of Rockingham County's 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 23.8% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 16,529 residents, roughly 17.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,220 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 15 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Rockingham County
Rockingham County has 113 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 59 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 59
- 220 exxon, stokesdale
- adam's mart, stoneville
- ak food mart, eden
- all in the family plus llc, eden
- amirs tobacco & food mart, eden
- baps, reidsville
- checkers grill and grocery, madison
- daniel's thrifty mart, reidsville
- daytona citgo, madison
- diba inc, madison
- discount food mart, ruffin
- dj's community, reidsville
- exotic 777s, eden
- family mart of eden, eden
- flowers bakery outlet 1006, eden
- food mart, reidsville
- food plus, madison
- garrett mini mart, stoneville
- harvest ridge, ruffin
- hilltop grill & grocery, eden
- hwy 29 fuel, reidsville
- in & out grocery, reidsville
- j mart - 1, eden
- j mart - 3, eden
- j mart - 4, reidsville
- k mart, reidsville
- k-3-inc., stokesdale
- kvz corner stop, reidsville
- kzj food land, eden
- kp food mart, reidsville
- kwik sunrise mart, reidsville
- love's travel center 741, reidsville
- mayodan marathon, mayodan
- meadowgreen shell, eden
- murphy usa 7233, eden
- murphy usa 7241, mayodan
- murphy usa 7242, reidsville
- naomi mart, eden
- nn food mart inc, reidsville
- one stop grocery, reidsville
- one stop shop, eden
- p and d food mart, eden
- pulliam's grocery, reidsville
- quality mart #21 1624, reidsville
- radha krishna food mart llc, madison
- refuel 1185, stokesdale
- reidsville family fare 397, reidsville
- rv food mart, ruffin
- sam store, reidsville
- sheetz 428, eden
- sheetz 508, reidsville
- shell mart 1, reidsville
- shop smart, reidsville
- sk mart 1, mayodan
- smart shop 13, madison
- two brother's food market, stoneville
- us fast lane drive thru, eden
- van buren convenient mart, eden
- vighnaraja llc, reidsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 36
- cvs pharmacy 4381, reidsville
- cvs pharmacy 5559, eden
- cvs pharmacy 7320, madison
- dollar general 0323, madison
- dollar general 10976, eden
- dollar general 21637, eden
- dollar general 3338, reidsville
- dollar general 3458, eden
- dollar general 8384, stoneville
- dollar tree 2502, eden
- dollartree 8710, madison
- dollar general 12456, mayodan
- dollar general 12527, eden
- dollar general 16932, madison
- dollar general 16984, reidsville
- dollar general 21862, eden
- dollar general 22532, reidsville
- dollar general 22640, eden
- dollar general 24667, eden
- dollar general 24704, reidsville
- dollar general 30430, reidsville
- dollar general 31021, madison
- dollar general 31221, reidsville
- dollar general 7516, reidsville
- dollar general store 17517, reidsville
- dollar tree 3271, reidsville
- dollar tree 3652, mayodan
- family dollar 8026, reidsville
- family dollar store 273, reidsville
- family dollar store 67, eden
- family dollar store 8489, reidsville
- madison meat center, madison
- rose's 18, reidsville
- walgreens 12349, reidsville
- walgreens 19393, reidsville
- walgreens 19513, eden
Supermarket · 7
- food lion 1192, reidsville
- food lion 1456, reidsville
- food lion 1460, madison
- food lion 243, eden
- food lion 576, reidsville
- food lion 951, eden
- lowes food store 159, reidsville
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- el mercadito inc, eden
- fara mart 1 inc, reidsville
- hundleys, stoneville
- richard's meats and things llc, reidsville
Small Grocery Store · 3
- a2j mart inc 3366359284, eden
- la jaliciense 2, eden
- la plaza, mayodan
Super Store · 3
- walmart supercenter 1558, eden
- walmart supercenter 3304, reidsville
- walmart supercenter 3305, mayodan
Farmers' Market · 1
- market square farmer's market, reidsville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Rockingham County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Rockingham County sits inside North 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 Rockingham County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Rockingham County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Rockingham County? ▼
Is Rockingham County a food desert? ▼
What share of Rockingham 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.