PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Stokes County, NC

Stokes 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.

13.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.8%
on SNAP
45K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

13.6% of Stokes County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
11.2%
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).

Stokes County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.6% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,455 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,018 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 Stokes County compares nationally

Stokes County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.6% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,234).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Stokes County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Stokes 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 Stokes County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (66.7%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 67% Limited 11% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Stokes County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Stokes County vs. other North Carolina counties

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

% 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 Stokes County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,401
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,455
Low-Access Share13.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,018

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Stokes County
IndicatorValue
Population45,139
Median Household Income$62,969
Poverty Rate11.2%below the national average
SNAP Households2,889
SNAP Participation Rate14.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Stokes County 14.8%

About 14.8% of Stokes County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,889 households here.
  • 4.5% 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 Stokes County

near the national share

2 of Stokes County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% 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 6,455 residents, roughly 13.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,018 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Stokes County

Stokes County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • 7-eleven 36064j, king
  • circle k 1524, pilot mountain
  • circle k 2723178, king
  • crystal's kountry korner, walnut cove
  • friends mart, king
  • han-dee hugos 260, germanton
  • han-dee hugos 261, king
  • hillside market, walnut cove
  • hop in, king
  • panda store 1, pinnacle
  • pinnacle food and gas, pinnacle
  • profuel, sandy ridge
  • quality mart #52 1758, pinnacle
  • red stripe, pilot mountain
  • saurtown country store, king
  • sheetz 483, king
  • speedway 6946, walnut cove
  • speedway 6948, pilot mountain
  • swami walnut cove, walnut cove
  • whickers grocery, walnut cove

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs pharmacy 7354, king
  • cvs pharmacy 7339, walnut cove
  • dollar general 11210, king
  • dollar general 6727, walnut cove
  • dollar general 7059, walnut cove
  • dollar general 7517, king
  • dollar general 14821, sandy ridge
  • dollar general 15832, germanton
  • dollar general 16792, pinnacle
  • dollar general 20566, lawsonville
  • dollar general 24792, pine hall
  • dollar tree 6441, king
  • family dollar 12765, walnut cove
  • walgreens 17901, king

Supermarket · 5

  • food lion 1090, walnut cove
  • food lion 2639, king
  • food lion 432, king
  • ingles markets 109, walnut cove
  • lowes food store 121, king

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • mitchell's butchery, walnut cove

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • cornerstone market, pinnacle

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 6789, king

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Stokes County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Stokes County sits inside North Carolina (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 Stokes County has low food access? ▼
13.6% of residents in Stokes County, NC 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 Stokes County? ▼
14.8% of households in Stokes County receive SNAP, covering 2,889 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Stokes County? ▼
The poverty rate in Stokes County, NC is 11.2%, with a median household income of $62,969 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Stokes County a food desert? ▼
2 of Stokes County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Stokes County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Stokes 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.