PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Alabama

St. Clair County, AL

St. Clair 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.

9.7%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
11.0%
on SNAP
94K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AL

The food-access picture

9.7% of St. Clair County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
3.0%
households, no vehicle
11.4%
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).

St. Clair County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.7% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,085 residents who live far from a supermarket. 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 St. Clair County compares nationally

St. Clair County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.7% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,511).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

St. Clair County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in St. Clair County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for St. Clair County, AL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 11 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 11 tracts adequate (84.6%) 2 tracts limited (15.4%) Adequate 85% Limited 15% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: St. Clair County, AL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

St. Clair County vs. other Alabama counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for St. Clair County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)83,593
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population8,085
Low-Access Share9.7%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,984

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for St. Clair County
IndicatorValue
Population94,166
Median Household Income$77,463
Poverty Rate11.4%below the national average
SNAP Households3,851
SNAP Participation Rate11.0%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in St. Clair County 11.0%

About 11.0% of St. Clair County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,851 households here.
  • 3.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $77,463 with a 11.4% 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 St. Clair County

near the national share

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 8,085 residents, roughly 9.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,984 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 11 tracts (84.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in St. Clair County

St. Clair County has 80 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 35

  • aoc food marts 20, pell city
  • ashville llc, ashville
  • bent and dent, pell city
  • brompton valero 2690, moody
  • brompton valero travel center 2700, moody
  • circle k 2704887, pell city
  • circle k 2704891, moody
  • citgo/margaret food mart, odenville
  • ccs 2 tobacco and package store, ragland
  • circle k store 2709329, springville
  • ez stop1, odenville
  • express mart 48, ragland
  • express mart 51, pell city
  • ez stop food & fuel inc, odenville
  • grub mart 31, ashville
  • jiwani food mart, pell city
  • lakeview mart 1, cropwell
  • love' travel stops & country stores, inc 304, steele
  • love's travel stop 530, moody
  • mapco express, inc. 5191, odenville
  • mf foods llc, ashville
  • murphy usa 6952, pell city
  • murphy usa 7507, springville
  • odenville discount store, odenville
  • park aveneue stop n go, moody
  • pell city valero 501, pell city
  • quiktrip 7173, pell city
  • raceway leeds, leeds
  • springville food mart llc, springville
  • springville s mart, springville
  • steele truck stop, steele
  • the creek, ashville
  • the dam store, cropwell
  • valley country store, springville
  • whitney, steele

Combination Grocery/Other · 32

  • cvs pharmacy 4839, pell city
  • cvs pharmacy 4967, moody
  • dollar general 14091, ashville
  • dollar general 3212, ragland
  • dollar general 4505, ashville
  • dollar general 4949, pell city
  • dollar general 6803, cropwell
  • dollar general 7362, leeds
  • dollar general 9755, riverside
  • dollartree 10742, leeds
  • dollar general 10198, springville
  • dollar general 13152, pell city
  • dollar general 13519, odenville
  • dollar general 13687, cropwell
  • dollar general 14899, steele
  • dollar general 15765, odenville
  • dollar general 22441, pell city
  • dollar general 24921, ashville
  • dollar general 25016, odenville
  • dollar general 6068, moody
  • dollar general 7970, odenville
  • dollar general store 16473, trussville
  • dollar tree 2398, pell city
  • dollar tree 3484, moody
  • dollar tree 4496, springville
  • family dollar 12567, moody
  • family dollar 12668, ashville
  • family dollar 12682, odenville
  • family dollar 13476, ragland
  • family dollar 13996, cropwell
  • walgreens 10110, leeds
  • walgreens 10480, pell city

Supermarket · 6

  • food outlet 451, pell city
  • fresh value moody 89, moody
  • fresh value pell city 96, pell city
  • piggly wiggly of ashville, ashville
  • publix 1391, pell city
  • publix 1508, moody

Super Store · 4

  • piggly wiggly of odenville, odenville
  • walmart s/c 5113, pell city
  • walmart supercenter 3386, springville
  • walmart supercenter 562, leeds

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • mater shacj, ashville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • food barn, ragland

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • b & b quick service, ashville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Alabama

Autauga County
33.9% low-access · 9.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
25.1% low-access · 6.7% SNAP
Barbour County
20.5% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bibb County
1.6% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Blount County
6.8% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Bullock County
68.5% low-access · 34.0% SNAP

Compare St. Clair County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →

Food access nationally, Alabama in context

St. Clair County sits inside Alabama (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of St. Clair County has low food access? ▼
9.7% of residents in St. Clair County, AL live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in St. Clair County? ▼
11.0% of households in St. Clair County receive SNAP, covering 3,851 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in St. Clair County? ▼
The poverty rate in St. Clair County, AL is 11.4%, with a median household income of $77,463 (Census ACS 2024).
Is St. Clair County a food desert? ▼
0 of St. Clair County's 13 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of St. Clair County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.0% of households in St. Clair County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.