County food-access profile · Virginia
Scott County, VA
Scott County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 15.5%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 23.2%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.5% of Scott County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 7.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 20.2%
- 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).
Scott County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.5% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,601 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,322 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 Scott County compares nationally
Scott County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.5% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,080).
Scott County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Scott County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Scott County vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Scott
Scott County, VA
15.5 % low-access
- Accomack 2.2
Accomack County, VA
2.2 % low-access
- Albemarle
Albemarle County, VA
11.9 % low-access
- Alexandria city 0
Alexandria city, VA
0 % low-access
- Alleghany
Alleghany County, VA
16.4 % low-access
- Amelia
Amelia County, VA
16.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,177 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,601 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,322 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,479 |
| Median Household Income | $46,349 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,113 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 23.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.4% |
About 23.2% of Scott County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 23.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,113 households here.
- 7.6% 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 Scott County
near the national share
2 of Scott County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,601 residents, roughly 15.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,322 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Scott County
Scott County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- black diamond 30, duffield
- big break 2, weber city
- big break exxon 1, weber city
- black diamond markets 64, duffield
- country basket, duffield
- coxes country store, nickelsville
- gate city quik stop market, gate city
- jp market, nickelsville
- jp market #2, gate city
- mid town quik stop market 06, gate city
- midway market & deli, gate city
- moccasin junction, nickelsville
- nick grocery, nickelsville
- patriot fuels, gate city
- rallymart, hiltons
- rj market, dungannon
- stateline market #2 83, weber city
- weber city quik stop, weber city
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs 7343, gate city
- dollar general 19732, gate city
- dollar general 0065, gate city
- dollar general 14921, weber city
- dollar general 7031, dungannon
- dollar general 7485, duffield
- dollar general 9747, nickelsville
- dollar tree 8009, weber city
- family dollar 13169, duffield
Supermarket · 3
- food city 820, weber city
- food lion 308, gate city
- price less foods 489, weber city
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- henry's produce 2, duffield
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Scott County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Scott County sits inside Virginia (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 Scott County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Scott County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Scott County? ▼
Is Scott County a food desert? ▼
What share of Scott 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.