County food-access profile · North Carolina
Stanly County, NC
Most of Stanly County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 5.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 15.4%
- on SNAP
- 65K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
5.2% of Stanly County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.2%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Stanly County fares better than most: just 5.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 13 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,154 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,323 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 Stanly County compares nationally
Food access in Stanly County compares favorably nationally: its 5.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,805).
Stanly County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Stanly County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Stanly County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Stanly 5.2
Stanly County, NC
5.2 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 60,585 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,154 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,323 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 64,651 |
| Median Household Income | $60,704 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,880 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
About 15.4% of Stanly County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 5.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,880 households here.
- 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Stanly County
below the national share
1 of Stanly County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 3,154 residents, roughly 5.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,323 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 Stanly County
Stanly County has 69 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 30 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 30
- big lots 3199, albemarle
- cvs pharmacy 3813, albemarle
- cvs pharmacy 7524, locust
- cvs pharmacy 7696, richfield
- dollar general 4674, norwood
- dollar general 4771, oakboro
- dollar general 6196, albemarle
- dollar general 8133, locust
- dollar general 17139, albemarle
- dollar general 17816, badin
- dollar general 21212, norwood
- dollar general 21273, albemarle
- dollar general 24157, albemarle
- dollar general 25725, norwood
- dollar general 2906, richfield
- dollar general 30175, albemarle
- dollar general 30428, albemarle
- dollar general 6962, oakboro
- dollar tree 3483, albemarle
- dollar tree 6114, locust
- family dollar 13241, richfield
- family dollar 250, albemarle
- family dollar 5999, locust
- family dollar 6155, albemarle
- family dollar 7441, norwood
- hilltop seafood co., albemarle
- roses express 695, albemarle
- south east asia market, albemarle
- walgreens 10619, albemarle
- walgreens 19992, albemarle
Convenience Store · 23
- badin mart, badin
- fast stop, new london
- friendly mart, albemarle
- han-dee hugo's 208, denton
- lucky stop mart, albemarle
- modak inc., albemarle
- murphy express 8571, locust
- murphy usa 7888, albemarle
- norwood express mart, norwood
- pats corner, oakboro
- quiktrip 1056, locust
- refuel 1130, albemarle
- refuel 1137, richfield
- refuel 1138, albemarle
- refuel 1139, albemarle
- refuel 1143, albemarle
- refuel 1148, locust
- stanly county handi mart, albemarle
- smart shop 11, norwood
- speedway 7993, albemarle
- speedway 7995, albemarle
- stanfield express, stanfield
- sunoco, richfield
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 66007, albemarle
- food lion 251, albemarle
- food lion 30, albemarle
- food lion 345, locust
- food lion 445, norwood
- food lion 735, oakboro
- food lion 766, richfield
- ingles markets 100, albemarle
Super Store · 3
- harris teeter 078, albemarle
- walmart supercenter 1133, albemarle
- walmart supercenter 5747, locust
Small Grocery Store · 2
- asian food market llc, albemarle
- asian market albemarle, albemarle
Farmers' Market · 1
- stanly commons farmers' market, albemarle
Large Grocery Store · 1
- corner supermarket, albemarle
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- d & m packing co, albemarle
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Stanly County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Stanly County sits inside North Carolina (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 Stanly County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Stanly County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Stanly County? ▼
Is Stanly County a food desert? ▼
What share of Stanly 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.