County food-access profile · North Carolina
Sampson County, NC
Most of Sampson County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 7.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 20.2%
- on SNAP
- 59K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.2% of Sampson County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 21.8%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Sampson County fares better than most: just 7.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 4,553 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,739 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 Sampson County compares nationally
Food access in Sampson County compares favorably nationally: its 7.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,698).
Sampson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Sampson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sampson County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Sampson 7.2
Sampson County, NC
7.2 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,431 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,553 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,739 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 59,470 |
| Median Household Income | $52,432 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.8%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,361 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 20.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
About 20.2% of Sampson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 20.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,361 households here.
- 4.8% 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 Sampson County
below the national share
2 of Sampson County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% 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 4,553 residents, roughly 7.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,739 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sampson County
Sampson County has 56 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 25 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 25
- cvs pharmacy 7314, clinton
- dollar general 11263, salemburg
- dollar general 19712, clinton
- dollar general 2316, clinton
- dollar general 4818, newton grove
- dollar general 4873, roseboro
- dollar tree 1111, clinton
- dollartree 9929, clinton
- dollar general 22628, clinton
- dollar general 22932, turkey
- dollar general 23950, godwin
- dollar general 24905, rose hill
- dollar general 25842, autryville
- dollar general 30006, faison
- dollar general 30667, garland
- dollar general 31248, garland
- dollar general 7507, clinton
- dollar general store 17505, newton grove
- family dollar 8341, harrells
- family dollar store 261, clinton
- family dollar store 4864, garland
- family dollar store 6512, newton grove
- rose's 460, clinton
- walgreen 09462, clinton
- walgreens 16168, roseboro
Convenience Store · 16
- altman's grocery barn, godwin
- epco 3 way food mart, roseboro
- han-dee hugo's 10, clinton
- han-dee hugo's 36, clinton
- han-dee hugo's 37, garland
- han-dee hugo's 4, clinton
- han-dee hugo's 8, clinton
- minuteman food mart 209, clinton
- minuteman food mart 221, dunn
- minuteman food mart 6, clinton
- murphy usa 7496, clinton
- newton grove family affair 353, newton grove
- pm ss 15, newton grove
- roseboro gas & food inc, roseboro
- sams circle mart corporation, newton grove
- speedway 6991, roseboro
Supermarket · 6
- charlie c's iga 775, roseboro
- charlie c's iga 780, clinton
- charlie c's iga 790, clinton
- food lion 114, clinton
- food lion 2595, newton grove
- food lion 948, roseboro
Super Store · 3
- piggly wiggly garland 00, garland
- tropicana supermarket, clinton
- walmart supercenter 2580, clinton
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- clear run farms inc., harrells
- supermercado hispano, clinton
Small Grocery Store · 2
- la triguenita, salemburg
- mercadito juanita, clinton
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- carniceria la maxima, clinton
Seafood Specialty · 1
- tyndall seafood, clinton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Sampson County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Sampson County sits inside North Carolina (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
What share of Sampson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sampson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sampson County? ▼
Is Sampson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sampson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.