County food-access profile · Texas
Runnels County, TX
Runnels County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 41.5%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.9%
- on SNAP
- 10K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
41.5% of Runnels County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 3.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.0%
- 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).
Runnels County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 41.5% is well above the national share. 3 of the county's 4 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 4,361 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,679 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 Runnels County compares nationally
Runnels County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 41.5% low-access share outpaces 89% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #353 most-affected nationwide.
Runnels County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 4 census tracts in Runnels County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Runnels County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Runnels
Runnels County, TX
41.5 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 10,501 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,361 |
| Low-Access Share | 41.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,679 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 9,874 |
| Median Household Income | $62,632 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 414 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 10.9% of Runnels County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 41.5% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 414 households here.
- 3.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Runnels County
well above the national share
2 of Runnels County's 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 4,361 residents, roughly 41.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,679 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Runnels County
Runnels County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (63% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- 7-eleven 073, winters
- 7-eleven, inc. 42486, miles
- 7-eleven, inc. 42566, ballinger
- allsups 232, ballinger
- allsups 235, ballinger
- allsups 102452, ballinger
- ballinger short stop inc, ballinger
- quick stop, ballinger
- the crossing travel market, lp 1, winters
- yesway 1078, winters
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 4575, ballinger
- dollar general 7435, winters
Supermarket · 2
- spring market 724, winters
- spring market store 738, ballinger
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- ideal food store, miles
Super Store · 1
- walmart store 1078, ballinger
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Runnels County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Runnels County sits inside Texas (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
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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.