PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Jersey

Salem County, NJ

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

20.8%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
12.5%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NJ

The food-access picture

20.8% of Salem County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
9.6%
households, no vehicle
12.7%
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 Salem County's low-access share at 20.8%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 24 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,760 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,569 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 Salem County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Salem County's 20.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,622 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Salem County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 24 census tracts in Salem 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 Salem County, NJ USDA-defined food-access tiers: 16 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 24 tracts evaluated. 16 tracts adequate (66.7%) 3 tracts limited (12.5%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (20.8%) Adequate 67% Limited 13% Severe 21% Food-access tier distribution: Salem County, NJ
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Salem County vs. other New Jersey counties

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

% 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 Salem County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts24
Atlas Population (2010 basis)66,083
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population13,760
Low-Access Share20.8%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,569

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Salem County
IndicatorValue
Population65,275
Median Household Income$79,960
Poverty Rate12.7%below the national average
SNAP Households3,099
SNAP Participation Rate12.5%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.6%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Salem County 12.5%

About 12.5% of Salem County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,099 households here.
  • 9.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Salem County

above the national share

5 of Salem County's 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.8% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 13,760 residents, roughly 20.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,569 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 16 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Salem County

Salem County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • big boy deli inc 1, salem
  • bns market, salem
  • canton country store, salem
  • heritage's dairy store 27, woodstown
  • heritage's dairy store 34, elmer
  • har govind corp, elmer
  • jashjot convenience, salem
  • n and j petroleum llc circle k, penns grove
  • pennsgroove food mart, penns grove
  • pilot travel center 253, carney's point
  • pilot travel center 688, carney's point
  • riggins, salem
  • scarpazi's one stop deli, penns grove
  • speed mart, penns grove
  • sunoco, pilesgrove
  • sunoco food mart, elmer
  • wawa 446, elmer
  • wawa 8332, pennsville
  • wawa food market 459, woodstown
  • wawa store 8466, penns grove
  • wawa store 8711, pennsville

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 13182, penns grove
  • dollar general 15742, salem
  • dollar general 18268, elmer
  • dollar general 22909, elmer
  • dollar general 6950, pennsville
  • dollar general 8717, woodstown
  • dollar tree 1643, pennsville
  • dollar tree 5782, pennsville
  • family dollar store 1385, penns grove
  • family dollar store 7174, salem
  • walgreens 11027, pennsville

Supermarket · 4

  • acme 2995, pennsville
  • acme 3920, woodstown
  • elmer iga, elmer
  • save a lot 21638, pennsville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • burlington beef, monroeville
  • everyday gourmet entrees limited liability company, elmer
  • niblocks fresh meats, salem

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • lapp's dutch market, penns grove
  • laurel market 2, penns grove
  • tienda ramirez, penns grove

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • carneys point farmers market, penns grove
  • joes butcher shop, norma

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • marty's crabs, bridgeton

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 2041, pennsville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New Jersey

Atlantic County
30.1% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Bergen County
10.3% low-access · 5.3% SNAP
Burlington County
36.3% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Camden County
20.0% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Cape May County
32.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Cumberland County
35.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP

Compare Salem County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →

Food access nationally, New Jersey in context

Salem County sits inside New Jersey (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 Salem County has low food access? ▼
20.8% of residents in Salem County, NJ 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 Salem County? ▼
12.5% of households in Salem County receive SNAP, covering 3,099 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Salem County? ▼
The poverty rate in Salem County, NJ is 12.7%, with a median household income of $79,960 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Salem County a food desert? ▼
5 of Salem County's 24 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Salem County households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.6% of households in Salem 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.