Signature · 7.2% low-access (14th pct)
Sampson County, NC
Sampson County lands in the lower national band on low-access (7.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 7.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 20.2%
- on SNAP
- 59K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Sampson County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ADEQUATE 7.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -14.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 20.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 18% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Wilkes County ( -0.3 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Sampson County lands in the lower national band (7.2%, #2,698 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,698
- national by low-access %
- #77
- in NC
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 7.2% low-access (14th pct) (-14.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
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's lower-band USDA tier split
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Sampson County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (10 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Sampson County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Columbus 8.2
Columbus 8.2%
8.2 % low-access
- Macon 8
Macon 8%
8 % low-access
- Sampson 7.2
Sampson 7.2%
7.2 % low-access
- Wilkes 6.9
Wilkes 6.9%
6.9 % low-access
- Mitchell 6.5
Mitchell 6.5%
6.5 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| 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 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
12 towns share the 56 authorized stores; Clinton holds 46% of them. 7 of the 12 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Godwin, Salemburg, Autryville, Dunn, Faison, Rose Hill and 1 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton | 26 | 6 |
| Newton Grove | 7 | 1 |
| Roseboro | 7 | 2 |
| Garland | 5 | 1 |
| Godwin | 2 | none |
| Harrells | 2 | 1 |
| Salemburg | 2 | none |
| Autryville | 1 | none |
| Dunn | 1 | none |
| Faison | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 12 towns by store count.
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Sampson County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Sampson County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Sampson County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (7.2% here).
- Lawrence County, IN · 7.2% low-access
- Franklin County, ID · 7.2% low-access
- Coffee County, GA · 7.2% low-access
- Scioto County, OH · 7.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (20.2% here).
- St. John the Baptist Parish, LA · 20.2% SNAP
- Taylor County, WV · 20.2% SNAP
- Wayne County, GA · 20.2% SNAP
- Kern County, CA · 20.2% 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.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). Sampson County, at 7.2%, runs 15.7 pts below the North 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 Sampson County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37163. 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.