County food-access profile · Texas
San Patricio County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of San Patricio 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).
- 30.7%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 14.3%
- on SNAP
- 70K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.7% of San Patricio County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 6.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.8%
- 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).
USDA data puts San Patricio County's low-access share at 30.7%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 19,876 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,150 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 San Patricio County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, San Patricio County's 30.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #896 most-affected nationwide.
San Patricio County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 16 census tracts in San Patricio County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
San Patricio County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- San Patricio
San Patricio County, TX
30.7 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 64,804 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 19,876 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,150 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 70,181 |
| Median Household Income | $69,704 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,623 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 14.3% of San Patricio County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,623 households here.
- 6.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 San Patricio County
above the national share
3 of San Patricio County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.8% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 19,876 residents, roughly 30.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,150 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in San Patricio County
San Patricio County has 75 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 45 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 45
- 7-eleven 41041h, portland
- a&e express mart, aransas pass
- bhavani food mart, taft
- checkout 54, portland
- checkout 72, aransas pass
- circle k 2706976, odem
- circle k 2706983, mathis
- circle k 2706985, portland
- circle k 2709235, sinton
- circle k 2740036, taft
- circle k 2740424, sinton
- circle k 2740979, portland
- corner store 427, aransas pass
- country store, portland
- ez market, ingleside
- fast market 4563, mathis
- kwik pantry, mathis
- la tiendita, gregory
- larry's market, mathis
- love's travel stop 672, sinton
- mcv's convenience, ingleside
- murphy usa 7738, portland
- murphy usa 7950, aransas pass
- new way food, taft
- pelican mart, taft
- quick-e drive thru mart, mathis
- snappy food mart, portland
- stripes 17962, taft
- stripes 21286, sinton
- stripes 40792, aransas pass
- stripes 40794, aransas pass
- stripes 40796, aransas pass
- stripes 40812h, odem
- stripes 40840, ingleside
- stripes 40842, portland
- stripes 40843, portland
- stripes 40844h, gregory
- sam's stop, ingleside
- snappy food mart, ingleside
- speedy express # 38, mathis
- stripes 42242h, sinton
- times market, sinton
- tims in & out, aransas pass
- truckees, sinton
- xpress mart on lakeside, mathis
Combination Grocery/Other · 20
- cvs 10840, mathis
- cvs pharmacy inc 7220, portland
- dollar general 1755, taft
- dollar general 1815, kingsville
- dollar general 3840, aransas pass
- dollar general 3914, mathis
- dollar general 4902, sinton
- dollar tree 2414, aransas pass
- dollartree plus 9084, ingleside
- dollar general 25144, mathis
- dollar general 5703, odem
- dollar general 6373, ingleside
- dollar tree 4438, portland
- family dollar 12689, odem
- family dollar 13745, taft
- family dollar 3296, mathis
- family dollar 3802, aransas pass
- family dollar 7722, sinton
- walgreens 10680, aransas pass
- walgreens 16030, portland
Supermarket · 5
- heb 115, sinton
- heb 160, mathis
- heb 171, ingleside
- heb 333, aransas pass
- heb 488, portland
Super Store · 3
- target store t2899, portland
- walmart supercenter 458, aransas pass
- walmart supercenter 5460, portland
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- clayton's meat market, portland
- homer's 1, mathis
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare San Patricio County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
San Patricio County sits inside Texas (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 San Patricio County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in San Patricio County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in San Patricio County? ▼
Is San Patricio County a food desert? ▼
What share of San Patricio 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.