County food-access profile · Tennessee
Sequatchie County, TN
Sequatchie County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 42.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 16.5%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
42.1% of Sequatchie County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 4.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 21.9%
- 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).
Sequatchie County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 42.1% is well above the national share. 1 of the county's 3 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 5,935 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Sequatchie County compares nationally
Sequatchie County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 42.1% low-access share outpaces 89% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #339 most-affected nationwide.
Sequatchie County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 3 census tracts in Sequatchie County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sequatchie County vs. other Tennessee counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee
- Sequatchie
Sequatchie County, TN
42.1 % low-access
- Anderson 10.9
Anderson County, TN
10.9 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, TN
23 % low-access
- Benton 12.6
Benton County, TN
12.6 % low-access
- Bledsoe 4.7
Bledsoe County, TN
4.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount County, TN
30.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 14,112 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,935 |
| Low-Access Share | 42.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,132 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,809 |
| Median Household Income | $58,750 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.9%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,022 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 16.5% of Sequatchie County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 42.1% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,022 households here.
- 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $58,750 with a 21.9% poverty rate.
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 Sequatchie County
well above the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 5,935 residents, roughly 42.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,132 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sequatchie County
Sequatchie County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 12 locations (55% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- dollar general 19414, dunlap
- dollar general 332, dunlap
- dollar general 6431, dunlap
- dollar general 7627, whitwell
- dollar general 16733, dunlap
- dollar general 19873, whitwell
- dollar general 23928, whitwell
- dollar general 24314, dunlap
- dollar tree 5152, dunlap
- family dollar store 3965, whitwell
- hughes produce, dunlap
- walgreens 11670, dunlap
Convenience Store · 8
- c&g quik stop, graysville
- circle k 4703605, dunlap
- dhabudi inc 001, dunlap
- gas plus, dunlap
- h t express 7, dunlap
- little store, dunlap
- murphy usa 7424, dunlap
- phillip & cindys natural teas and herbs, dunlap
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 4226, dunlap
Supermarket · 1
- save-a-lot 45050, dunlap
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Compare Sequatchie County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
Sequatchie County sits inside Tennessee (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 Sequatchie County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sequatchie County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sequatchie County? ▼
Is Sequatchie County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sequatchie 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.