Signature · 2.9% low-access (7th pct)
Saluda County, SC
Saluda County lands in the lower national band on low-access (2.9%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 2.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 13.9%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Saluda County, SC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 2.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -19.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Allendale County ( -0.6 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Saluda County lands in the lower national band (2.9%, #2,920 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,920
- national by low-access %
- #42
- in SC
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 183
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 2.9% low-access (7th pct) (-19.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Saluda County compares nationally
Food access in Saluda County compares favorably nationally: its 2.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,920).
Saluda County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Saluda 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.
Saluda County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in South Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Beaufort
Beaufort 49%
49 % low-access
- Lee 5
Lee 5%
5 % low-access
- Dillon 4.5
Dillon 4.5%
4.5 % low-access
- Saluda 2.9
Saluda 2.9%
2.9 % low-access
- Allendale 2.3
Allendale 2.3%
2.3 % low-access
- Calhoun 1
Calhoun 1%
1 % low-access
- Barnwell 0
Barnwell 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,875 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 586 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 183 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,131 |
| Median Household Income | $51,009 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,065 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
SNAP retailers in Saluda County
Saluda County has 25 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 25 authorized stores; Saluda holds 72% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Leesville, Ward.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Saluda | 18 | 3 |
| Ridge Spring | 4 | 1 |
| Leesville | 2 | none |
| Ward | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 10
- 7-eleven 36823a, saluda
- bedi, saluda
- circle k 2568, ridge spring
- circle quick stop, leesville
- country corner #21, saluda
- ridgespring convenience store, ridge spring
- royal food, ward
- saluda mini mart, saluda
- tienda y panaderia guatelinda, saluda
- tire & oil, saluda
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 3869, saluda
- dollar general 11224, leesville
- dollar general 3800, saluda
- dollar general 11446, ridge spring
- dollar general 20896, saluda
- dollar general 23252, saluda
- dollar tree 9318, saluda
- family dollar store 1078, saluda
- minimarket guatelinda, saluda
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- el mexicano supermarket, saluda
- latinos supermarket, saluda
Large Grocery Store · 1
- cone's meat llc, ridge spring
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- h+j cattle company, saluda
Small Grocery Store · 1
- country peddler, saluda
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 2822, saluda
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in South Carolina
One of 45 counties in South Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Saluda County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →
Counties near Saluda County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Saluda County, both outside South Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside SC (2.9% here).
- Tillamook County, OR · 2.9% low-access
- Swain County, NC · 2.9% low-access
- Essex County, NY · 2.9% low-access
- McKean County, PA · 2.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside SC (13.9% here).
- Westmoreland County, PA · 13.9% SNAP
- Washington County, PA · 13.9% SNAP
- Fulton County, PA · 13.9% SNAP
- Berks County, PA · 13.9% 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.
South Carolina among South Atlantic states
South Carolina ranks 2nd of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (28.7%). Saluda County, at 2.9%, runs 25.8 pts below the South Carolina 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 Saluda County, SC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 45081. 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.