Where does Sterling County rank for food access?

According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019), Sterling County ranks #43 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #11 of 252 counties in TX, the same sort as the worst-food-deserts ranking. See /methodology#corpus-placement.

What share of Sterling County has low food access?

100.0% of residents in Sterling County, TX 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 Sterling County?

12.0% of households in Sterling County receive SNAP, covering 48 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Sterling County?

The poverty rate in Sterling County, TX is 4.3%, with a median household income of $64,954 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Sterling County a food desert?

0 of Sterling County's 1 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.

Signature · 100.0% low-access (98th pct)

Sterling County, TX

Sterling County sits in the upper national band on low-access (100.0%, +77.9 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · December 31, 2024

100.0%
low-access pop.: 0
food-desert tracts: 12.0%
on SNAP: 1K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

USDA FARA access plate

County Sterling County, TX

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-NA · DENSITY-CLEAR

LA-SEVERE 100.0% low-access
ABOVE-NATIONAL +77.9 pts vs US
LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
SNAP-TYPICAL 12.0% SNAP
VEH-NA Vehicle n/a
DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Borden County (+ 0.0 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Sterling County sits in the upper national band (100.0%, #43 of 3,079).

#43
national by low-access %: #11
in TX: 1
low-access tracts: 410
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 100.0% low-access (98th pct) (+77.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).

How Sterling County compares nationally

Sterling County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 100.0% low-access share outpaces 98% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #49 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Sterling County's elevated USDA tier split

1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Sterling County has 0 urban and 1 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Throckmorton

100
Sterling

100
Borden

100
Briscoe

100
Coke

100
Cottle

100
Rains

0

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Sterling County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	1
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	1,143
Low-Access Tracts	1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	0
Low-Access Population	1,143
Low-Access Share	100.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	410

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Sterling County
Indicator	Value
Population	1,468
Median Household Income	$64,954
Poverty Rate	4.3%well below the national average
SNAP Households	48
SNAP Participation Rate	12.0%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population	2.3%

Slim SNAP store book in Sterling County

Sterling County has 4 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 3 locations (75% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 3

7-eleven, inc. 42449, sterling city
allsups 102454, sterling city
hitching post, sterling city

Combination Grocery/Other · 1

family dollar store 10673, sterling city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Texas

One of 253 counties in Texas, 6 are shown here.

Anderson County

43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP

Andrews County

26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP

Angelina County

26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP

Aransas County

31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP

Archer County

18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP

Armstrong County

99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Sterling County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Sterling County inside a higher low-access state context

Sterling County sits inside Texas (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

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

Read with this county

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled 2026-06-23.

PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Sterling County, TX are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 48431. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.

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.