Signature · 27 SNAP-authorized stores
Salem city, VA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Salem city 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).
- 23.4%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Salem city, VA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 23.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.3 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Newport News city ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Salem city ranks #1,411 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #43 of 123 counties in VA (23.4% low-access).
- #1,411
- national by low-access %
- #43
- in VA
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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: 27 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Salem city compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Salem city's 23.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,411 most-affected nationwide.
Salem city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Salem city's tracts are urban in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 1-mile test, the stricter of the two distance thresholds.
Salem city low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Chesapeake ci… 24.1
Chesapeake ci… 24.1%
24.1 % low-access
- Salem city 23.4
Salem city 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Newport News … 23.2
Newport News … 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Portsmouth ci… 23.1
Portsmouth ci… 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Colonial Heig… 22.7
Colonial Heig… 22.7%
22.7 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,802 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,805 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,180 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,618 |
| Median Household Income | $66,725 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 795 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Salem city
Salem city has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 27 authorized stores are in Salem, 5 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
Convenience Store · 13
- 7-eleven 35044a, salem
- craig superette, salem
- easy day #1, salem
- go mart 97, salem
- metro express #6-liberty 6, salem
- metro express #7-liberty 7, salem
- p & n market #110, salem
- quick way, salem
- salem mini market, salem
- sheetz 325, salem
- sheetz 333, salem
- shell e-z mart, salem
- two stars llc, salem
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 3794, salem
- cvs pharmacy 7389, salem
- dollartree 10314, salem
- dollar general 4055, salem
- dollar tree 2209, salem
- dollar tree 6540, salem
- walgreens 07604, salem
Super Store · 4
- kroger 226, salem
- kroger 320, salem
- kroger 330, salem
- walmart supercenter 1309, salem
Delivery Route · 1
- feeding southwest virginia, salem
Farmers' Market · 1
- salem farmers market, salem
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 365, salem
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 Salem city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Salem city's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Salem city, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (23.4% here).
- Horry County, SC · 23.4% low-access
- Fairfield County, SC · 23.4% low-access
- Tioga County, PA · 23.4% low-access
- Monroe County, PA · 23.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (7.8% here).
- Chittenden County, VT · 7.8% SNAP
- Door County, WI · 7.8% SNAP
- Wise County, TX · 7.8% SNAP
- Johnson County, TX · 7.8% 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%). Salem city, at 23.4%, runs 3.0 pts above 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 Salem city, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51775. 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.