PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Rockwall County, TX

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Rockwall 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).

20.3%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
4.3%
on SNAP
124K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

20.3% of Rockwall County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
2.1%
households, no vehicle
4.0%
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 Rockwall County's low-access share at 20.3%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,929 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Rockwall County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rockwall County's 20.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,668 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Rockwall County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Rockwall County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Rockwall County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (45.5%) 6 tracts limited (54.5%) Adequate 45% Limited 55% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Rockwall County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Rockwall County vs. other Texas counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Rockwall County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)78,337
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population15,929
Low-Access Share20.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,536

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Rockwall County
IndicatorValue
Population123,617
Median Household Income$127,981
Poverty Rate4.0%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,759
SNAP Participation Rate4.3%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.6%
SNAP participation in Rockwall County 4.3%

About 4.3% of Rockwall County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 4.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,759 households here.
  • 2.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $127,981 with a 4.0% poverty rate.

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 Rockwall County

above the national share

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 15,929 residents, roughly 20.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,536 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (45.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Rockwall County

Rockwall County has 59 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • 7 eleven 16559a, rockwall
  • 7-eleven convenience store 34353c, rockwall
  • 7-eleven 34011a, rockwall
  • 7-eleven 42609a, rockwall
  • 7-eleven convenience store 35677b, rockwall
  • 7-eleven convenience store 35996a, rockwall
  • 7-eleven convenience store 38421a, rockwall
  • 7-eleven convenience store 42220a, rockwall
  • circle k 2709948, royse city
  • circle k management ck 127, rowlett
  • eagle food beer & wine, rowlett
  • fate grocery store, fate
  • love's travel stops & country stores, inc 283, rockwall
  • mo's exxon inc., fate
  • murphy express 8751, royse city
  • murphy usa 7699, rockwall
  • payless fuel centers of texas, llc, rowlett
  • pitstop, royse city
  • quiktrip 935, rockwall
  • racetrac 574, rockwall
  • stags plaza, fate
  • ta rockwall 049, rockwall
  • tigermart 42 1, royse city
  • tom thumb fuel station 5804, rockwall

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • braum's 175, rockwall
  • cvs 10562, heath
  • cvs 10635, royse city
  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 7464, rockwall
  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 8337, rockwall
  • dollar tree 2861, rockwall
  • dollartree 9114, royse city
  • dollar general 24414, rockwall
  • dollar tree 9786, rockwall
  • family dollar 10364, fate
  • family dollar 5421, royse city
  • family dollar store 11105, royse city
  • walgreens 11519, rockwall
  • walgreens 04818, rowlett
  • walgreens 05827, rockwall

Supermarket · 9

  • aldi 75026, rockwall
  • aldi 75049, rockwell
  • fresh by brookshire's 802, fate
  • heb food store 810, rockwall
  • la victoria carniceria, rockwall
  • sprouts farmers market 166, rockwall
  • tom thumb 1925, rowlett
  • tom thumb 2964, rockwall
  • tom thumb 3099, heath

Super Store · 8

  • costco wholesale 1049, rockwall
  • kroger 575, rockwall
  • kroger 574, rockwall
  • target store 1065, rockwall
  • walmart 3530, rockwall
  • walmart neighborhood market 7240, rowlett
  • walmart supercenter 259, rockwall
  • walmart supercenter 5987, royse city

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza tx248, rockwall

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • don cuco meat market, rockwall

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • yuyu international market, royse city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Rockwall County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Rockwall County sits inside Texas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Rockwall County has low food access? ▼
20.3% of residents in Rockwall County, TX live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Rockwall County? ▼
4.3% of households in Rockwall County receive SNAP, covering 1,759 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Rockwall County? ▼
The poverty rate in Rockwall County, TX is 4.0%, with a median household income of $127,981 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Rockwall County a food desert? ▼
0 of Rockwall County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Rockwall County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.1% of households in Rockwall County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.