Signature · 127 SNAP-authorized stores
Rowan County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Rowan 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).
- 22.7%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 16.0%
- on SNAP
- 150K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Rowan County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 22.7% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.6 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 7 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 23% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Richmond County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Rowan County ranks #1,469 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #36 of 100 counties in NC (22.7% low-access; 7 food-desert tracts).
- #1,469
- national by low-access %
- #36
- in NC
- 12
- low-access tracts
- 12K
- 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: 127 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Rowan County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rowan County's 22.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,469 most-affected nationwide.
Rowan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
30 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 7 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Rowan County has 15 urban and 15 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.
Rowan County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Granville 23.1
Granville 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Lee 23
Lee 23%
23 % low-access
- Rowan 22.7
Rowan 22.7%
22.7 % low-access
- Richmond 22.7
Richmond 22.7%
22.7 % low-access
- Hertford 22.4
Hertford 22.4%
22.4 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 30 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 138,428 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 12 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 7 |
| Low-Access Population | 31,408 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 12,193 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 149,875 |
| Median Household Income | $65,725 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,438 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Rowan County
Rowan County has 127 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 64 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 64
- 7-eleven #41129j 41129h, salisbury
- 7-eleven 35553, kannapolis
- 7-eleven 41905h, salisbury
- circle k stores inc. 2707292, salisbury
- circle k stores inc. 2720131, china grove
- circle k 1491, granite quarry
- circle k 2723189, salisbury
- circle k 5115, salisbury
- d mart #3, salisbury
- dd express 1, woodleaf
- durga mart llc, salisbury
- easy pick, kannapolis
- express corner, china grove
- flowers bakery outlet 478, salisbury
- gammie's corner store, salisbury
- gas-n-go food& beverage, salisbury
- gold hill market, gold hill
- grocery tobacco outlet, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 221, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 222, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 223, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 224, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 225, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 226, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 227, salisbury
- han-dee hugo's 228, china grove
- han-dee hugo's 231, kannapolis
- hill's minnow farm, salisbury
- hop in, spencer
- kangaroo express, rockwell
- l k mart #, mooresville
- latin mix, salisbury
- little buck food mart 4, kannapolis
- love's travel stop 507, salisbury
- mike's convenience store, salisbury
- murphy express 8520, salisbury
- pilot travel center 7983, salisbury
- pine ridge general store, salisbury
- quality mart #1 1526, rockwell
- quick stop, salisbury
- reds mart, salisbury
- ron's food mart, kannapolis
- steve's corner store, china grove
- sandy's one stop, china grove
- sandy's one stop 105, landis
- sheetz 470, salisbury
- sheetz 838, salisbury
- sheetz 898, salisbury
- speedway 7973, salisbury
- speedway 7982, salisbury
- speedway 7986, salisbury
- swami shreeji enterprises llc, salisbury
- tamarac marina, salisbury
- the drive thru store #1 1, salisbury
- the fast stop, east spencer
- the pop shoppe #148, salisbury
- three star mini mart 2 llc, salisbury
- three stars mini mart #3 inc, salisbury
- three stars mini mart inc, salisbury
- tobacco house 3, salisbury
- west a kwik mart, kannapolis
- woodleaf bp, woodleaf
- zams mini mart, salisbury
- zip-n-go 1, china grove
Combination Grocery/Other · 36
- cvs pharmacy 3592, salisbury
- cvs pharmacy 7539, salisbury
- cvs pharmacy 7566, rockwell
- dollar general 10367, salisbury
- dollar general 18434, salisbury
- dollar general 2568, salisbury
- dollar general 346, china grove
- dollar general 4905, salisbury
- dollar general 6073, rockwell
- dollar general 9000, spencer
- dollar tree 0035, salisbury
- dollar general 16429, salisbury
- dollar general 17220, mooresville
- dollar general 19670, china grove
- dollar general 20477, woodleaf
- dollar general 20632, rockwell
- dollar general 21350, salisbury
- dollar general 22446, salisbury
- dollar general 23654, salisbury
- dollar general 24556, salisbury
- dollar general 25122, rockwell
- dollar general 7991, cleveland
- dollar tree 5151, salisbury
- dollar tree 943, salisbury
- family dollar 10862, granite quarry
- family dollar 185, kannapolis
- family dollar 232, salisbury
- family dollar 354, salisbury
- family dollar 4993, rockwell
- family dollar 528, spencer
- family dollar 8846, china grove
- family dollar store 7928, salisbury
- walgreen 09661, salisbury
- walgreens 07278, salisbury
- walgreens 10133, salisbury
- walgreens 17880, china grove
Supermarket · 12
- aldi 66089, salisbury
- aldi 66117, salisbury
- food lion 1, salisbury
- food lion 10, salisbury
- food lion 1417, salisbury
- food lion 2228, china grove
- food lion 2263, cleveland
- food lion 2650, china grove
- food lion 381, rockwell
- food lion 435, salisbury
- food lion 547, spencer
- la alcancia, salisbury
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- billy asian market, china grove
- carniceria acapulco inc., kannapolis
- carniceria la raza, salisbury
- lupitas variedades supermarket, china grove
- reyes xpress, salisbury
- variety produce., rockwell
Small Grocery Store · 3
- casa el paisano, kannapolis
- main street marketplace, china grove
- mclaughlin's grocery 1, salisbury
Seafood Specialty · 2
- inland point fresh seafood no, salisbury
- stone seafood, china grove
Super Store · 2
- harris teeter 178, salisbury
- walmart s/c 1552, salisbury
Farmers' Market · 1
- salisbury rowan farmer's market, salisbury
Large Grocery Store · 1
- father & son produce market, llc, salisbury
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Rowan County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Rowan County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Rowan County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (22.7% here).
- Bedford County, PA · 22.7% low-access
- Bedford County, PA · 22.7% low-access
- Colonial Heights city, VA · 22.7% low-access
- Colonial Heights city, VA · 22.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (16.0% here).
- Oswego County, NY · 16.0% SNAP
- Oswego County, NY · 16.0% SNAP
- Clarke County, MS · 16.0% SNAP
- Clarke County, MS · 16.0% 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, North Carolina in context
Rowan County sits inside North Carolina (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 Rowan County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37159. 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.