Signature · 1.7% low-access (5th pct)
Russell County, VA
Russell County lands in the lower national band on low-access (1.7%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 1.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 21.8%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Russell County, VA
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 1.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -20.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 21.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Buchanan County (+ 0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Russell County lands in the lower national band (1.7%, #2,979 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,979
- national by low-access %
- #118
- in VA
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 284
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 1.7% low-access (5th pct) (-20.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Russell County compares nationally
Food access in Russell County compares favorably nationally: its 1.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 5% of them (rank #2,979).
Russell County's lower-band USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 7 of Russell County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Russell County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Arlington 2.3
Arlington 2.3%
2.3 % low-access
- Accomack 2.2
Accomack 2.2%
2.2 % low-access
- Staunton city 2.2
Staunton city 2.2%
2.2 % low-access
- Buchanan 1.9
Buchanan 1.9%
1.9 % low-access
- Russell 1.7
Russell 1.7%
1.7 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,897 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 481 |
| Low-Access Share | 1.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 284 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,538 |
| Median Household Income | $50,012 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,331 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
SNAP retailers in Russell County
Russell County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 21 authorized stores; Lebanon holds 43% of them. 5 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Honaker, Castlewood, Rosedale, Cleveland, Swords Creek.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 9 | 2 |
| Honaker | 5 | none |
| Castlewood | 3 | none |
| Rosedale | 2 | none |
| Cleveland | 1 | none |
| Swords Creek | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 12
- black diamond 1, lebanon
- country mart, swords creek
- fas mart 443, honaker
- fas mart 458, rosedale
- fas mart 462, honaker
- fas mart 467, lebanon
- handy's market inc., cleveland
- puff & snuff inc 4, castlewood
- roadrunner 6063, lebanon
- roadrunner market 6064, castlewood
- roadrunner market 6096, lebanon
- tiger stop, honaker
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 21870, castlewood
- dollar general 2723, lebanon
- dollar general 9455, honaker
- dollar general store 17105, rosedale
- dollar tree 2137, lebanon
- family dollar store 6264, honaker
Farmers' Market · 1
- town of lebanon farmers market 0254767, lebanon
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 3480, lebanon
Supermarket · 1
- food city 890, lebanon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Russell County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Counties near Russell County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Russell County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (1.7% here).
- Marquette County, WI · 1.7% low-access
- Huntingdon County, PA · 1.7% low-access
- Kent County, MD · 1.7% low-access
- Caldwell County, KY · 1.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (21.8% here).
- Val Verde County, TX · 21.8% SNAP
- Roane County, WV · 21.8% SNAP
- Wasco County, OR · 21.8% SNAP
- McIntosh County, GA · 21.8% 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.
Virginia among South Atlantic states
Virginia ranks 8th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (20.4%). Russell County, at 1.7%, runs 18.7 pts below the Virginia rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Russell County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51167. 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.