County food-access profile · Texas
Shelby County, TX
Shelby 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.
- 17.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 15.7%
- on SNAP
- 24K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.9% of Shelby County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 6.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 20.6%
- 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).
Shelby County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.9% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,550 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,905 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 Shelby County compares nationally
Shelby County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.9% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,873).
Shelby County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Shelby County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Shelby County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Shelby
Shelby County, TX
17.9 % 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 | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 25,448 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,550 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,905 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 24,155 |
| Median Household Income | $49,776 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.6%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,474 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
About 15.7% of Shelby County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,474 households here.
- 6.7% 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 Shelby County
near the national share
2 of Shelby 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.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 4,550 residents, roughly 17.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,905 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Shelby County
Shelby County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 13 locations (42% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- cv/ pharmacy inc 7480, center
- dollar general 10712, tenaha
- dollar general 17735, center
- dollar general 7167, joaquin
- dollar general 8060, timpson
- dollar general 24739, center
- dollar tree 6136, center
- family dollar 11576, shelbyville
- family dollar 12524, joaquin
- family dollar 13353, tenaha
- family dollar 3555, timpson
- family dollar 4073, center
- h & s discount foods, center
Convenience Store · 10
- best mart #12, center
- binks tenaha quick stop 4, tenaha
- cefco 1010, center
- center texaco, center
- e-z mart 4260, center
- express stop #2, tenaha
- food junction, shelbyville
- joaquin quick stop 2, joaquin
- murphy usa 7731, center
- worsham grocery, joaquin
Super Store · 4
- brookshire brothers 04, timpson
- brookshire brothers 32, center
- brookshire brothers 57, joaquin
- walmart supercenter 364, center
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- cinco de mayo meat market, center
- la mexicana mexican products, center
Small Grocery Store · 2
- center asian grocery store llc, center
- tun store, center
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Shelby County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Shelby 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 Shelby County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Shelby County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Shelby County? ▼
Is Shelby County a food desert? ▼
What share of Shelby 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.