PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Suffolk city, VA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Suffolk city residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

22.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
10.0%
on SNAP
99K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

22.4% of Suffolk city residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

13
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.0%
households, no vehicle
9.4%
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).

USDA data puts Suffolk city's low-access share at 22.4%, above the national share. 13 of the county's 28 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 18,968 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,275 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 Suffolk city compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Suffolk city's 22.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 52% of them and ranked #1,491 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Suffolk city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 28 census tracts in Suffolk city, 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 Suffolk city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 15 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 9 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 28 tracts evaluated. 15 tracts adequate (53.6%) 9 tracts limited (32.1%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 54% Limited 32% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Suffolk city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Suffolk city vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Suffolk city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts28
Atlas Population (2010 basis)84,585
Low-Access Tracts13
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population18,968
Low-Access Share22.4%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,275

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Suffolk city
IndicatorValue
Population98,796
Median Household Income$92,666
Poverty Rate9.4%below the national average
SNAP Households3,807
SNAP Participation Rate10.0%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Suffolk city 10.0%

About 10.0% of Suffolk city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,807 households here.
  • 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Suffolk city

above the national share

4 of Suffolk city's 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 13.

An estimated 18,968 residents, roughly 22.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,275 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 15 tracts (53.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Suffolk city

Suffolk city has 66 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 35

  • 7 eleven 34017c, suffolk
  • 7- eleven 37123b 37123b, suffolk
  • 7-eleven 20237j, suffolk
  • 7-eleven 33662j, suffolk
  • 7-eleven 37228h, suffolk
  • 7-eleven 41688, suffolk
  • 7-eleven inc f 34142a, suffolk
  • 7-eleven, inc. 36972j, suffolk
  • 7-eleven 41522a 41522a, suffolk
  • 7-eleven jd&e, inc 33179b, suffolk
  • big guys mini mart n/a, suffolk
  • ding wing convenient 1, suffolk
  • duck thru 58, suffolk
  • duck thru food store 44, suffolk
  • ez food mart, suffolk
  • express market #131 131, suffolk
  • freedom food mart 8, suffolk
  • happy shopper 5, suffolk
  • happy shopper 6, suffolk
  • jay ambe service store inc, suffolk
  • joe's kwik mart 8409, suffolk
  • miller's 563, suffolk
  • miller's 565, suffolk
  • murphy usa 5505, suffolk
  • murphy usa 7604, suffolk
  • pari food mart, suffolk
  • redbarn food store, suffolk
  • royal farms 429, suffolk
  • royal farms 542, suffolk
  • sadler travel plaza of suffolk 580, suffolk
  • speedway 4676, suffolk
  • walkers market llc, suffolk
  • washington food mart, suffolk
  • wawa 8638, suffolk
  • wawa store 8696, suffolk

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy 11056, suffolk
  • dollar general 14110, suffolk
  • dollar general 14407, suffolk
  • dollar general 18553, suffolk
  • dollartree 9094, suffolk
  • dollar general store 16791, suffolk
  • dollar general store 17279, suffolk
  • dollar tree 1324, suffolk
  • dollar tree 4555, suffolk
  • dollar tree 4940, suffolk
  • family dollar 11993, suffolk
  • family dollar 2789, suffolk
  • family dollar 335, suffolk
  • walgreens 10332, suffolk
  • walgreens 10416, suffolk
  • walgreens 15446, suffolk

Supermarket · 7

  • aldi 80063, suffolk
  • food lion 1173, suffolk
  • food lion 1512, suffolk
  • food lion 1559, suffolk
  • food lion 1623, suffolk
  • food lion 958, suffolk
  • publix north carolina lp 1883, suffolk

Super Store · 6

  • harris teeter 463, suffolk
  • kroger 554, suffolk
  • kroger 580, suffolk
  • lidl 1006, suffolk
  • walmart supercenter 1687, suffolk
  • walmart supercenter 3214, suffolk

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • m&r seafood, suffolk

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • diggs seafood, suffolk

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Suffolk city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Suffolk city sits inside Virginia (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 Suffolk city has low food access? ▼
22.4% of residents in Suffolk city, VA 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 Suffolk city? ▼
10.0% of households in Suffolk city receive SNAP, covering 3,807 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Suffolk city? ▼
The poverty rate in Suffolk city, VA is 9.4%, with a median household income of $92,666 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Suffolk city a food desert? ▼
4 of Suffolk city's 28 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 Suffolk city households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.0% of households in Suffolk city 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.