County food-access profile · Delaware
Sussex County, DE
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Sussex County 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).
- 28.6%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 10.6%
- on SNAP
- 256K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.6% of Sussex County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 24
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 3.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.9%
- 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 Sussex County's low-access share at 28.6%, above the national share. 24 of the county's 53 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 56,335 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,549 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 Sussex County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Sussex County's 28.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 67% of them and ranked #1,034 most-affected nationwide.
Sussex County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 53 census tracts in Sussex County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sussex County vs. other Delaware counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Delaware
- Sussex
Sussex County, DE
28.6 % low-access
- Kent
Kent County, DE
21.6 % low-access
- New Castle
New Castle County, DE
28.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 53 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 197,145 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 24 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 56,335 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,549 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 255,626 |
| Median Household Income | $81,497 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 11,267 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 10.6% of Sussex County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 11,267 households here.
- 3.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Sussex County
above the national share
6 of Sussex County's 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.3% of all its tracts.
A further 18 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 24.
An estimated 56,335 residents, roughly 28.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,549 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 29 tracts (54.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sussex County
Sussex County has 204 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 72 locations (35% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 72
- 7-eleven 41578, seaford
- anon stop #1, millsboro
- anon stop #2, dagsboro
- anon stop 4, millsboro
- bp seaford, seaford
- bridgeville grocery store llc 3025001966, bridgeville
- calderon market llc 3028648288, georgetown
- carrollbridgeville inc, bridgeville
- country corners market #9 9, lewes
- country corners market - milford 8, milford
- country corners market 12, georgetown
- delux dairy market 1, seaford
- fenwick island goose creek 16, selbyville
- first stop inc, laurel
- georgetown delux, georgetown
- guatemex, millsboro
- highs of baltimore, llc 161, selbyville
- highs of baltimore, llc 163, dagsboro
- la flor latin store llc, seaford
- laurel c store llc, laurel
- lolo's mini mart, greenwood
- mike's food market, milford
- middleford deli, seaford
- milford convenience & deli inc, milford
- milton delux, milton
- pep-up gas station 24858, millsboro
- quick stop, blades
- royal farms 109, bridgeville
- royal farms 114, laurel
- royal farms 120, greenwood
- royal farms 123, millsboro
- royal farms 125, seaford
- royal farms 141, ellendale
- royal farms 142, milford
- royal farms 158, georgetown
- royal farms 176, ocean view
- royal farms 212, rehoboth beach
- royal farms 219, georgetown
- royal farms 226, rehoboth beach
- royal farms 263, selbyville
- royal farms 295, millsboro
- royal farms 296, harbeson
- royal farms 316, dagaboro
- royal farms 337, selbyville
- royal farms 37, rehoboth beach
- royal farms 38, seaford
- royal farms 44, fenwick island
- royal farms 51, milford
- royals farms 171, laurel
- selbyville goose creek 19, selbyville
- shawnee country store, milford
- shore stop 250, seaford
- shore stop 254, lewes
- shore stop 295, millsboro
- stop & shop, rehoboth beach
- sweet mart, milford
- the general store, lewes
- tienda y variedades la bendicion, bridgeville
- uncle willies, selbyville
- vishal llc, georgetown
- wawa 834, lewes
- wawa 836, bethany beach
- wawa 849, rehobeth beach
- wawa 851, milford
- wawa 856, delmar
- wawa 864, bridgeville
- wawa 865, millsboro
- wawa 871, rehoboth
- wawa 874, seaford
- wawa food market 837, millsboro
- wawa store 884, georgetown
- your neighborhood store, millsboro
Combination Grocery/Other · 65
- adkins produce, millsboro
- cvs 3231, selbyville
- cvs 3902, ocean view
- cvs 4710, bethany beach
- cvs pharmacy 10222, milford
- cvs pharmacy 10296, lewes
- cvs pharmacy 3738, rehoboth beach
- dollar general 13233, millville
- dollar general 0387, millsboro
- dollar general 0488, milford
- dollar general 0588, georgetown
- dollar general 11721, dagsboro
- dollar general 11949, selbyville
- dollar general 12472, delmar
- dollar general 13564, greenwood
- dollar general 14133, lewes
- dollar general 14461, blades
- dollar general 15288, ellendale
- dollar general 16797, lewes
- dollar general 17847, milton
- dollar general 22298, lincoln
- dollar general 23454, frankford
- dollar general 2422, seaford
- dollar general 25392, bridgeville
- dollar general 4329, bethany beach
- dollar general 4860, georgetown
- dollar general 4938, millsboro
- dollar general 6893, seaford
- dollar general 7711, bridgeville
- dollar general 7930, milton
- dollar general 8615, laurel
- dollar tree 1741, georgetown
- dollar tree 1906, milford
- dollar tree 1974, rehoboth beach
- dollar tree 3589, delmar
- dollar tree 4490, millsboro
- dollar tree 5199, millsboro
- dollar tree 5386, selbyville
- dollar tree 6234, milford
- dollar tree 762, seaford
- dollar tree 9015, seaford
- family dollar store 1015, laurel
- family dollar store 1399, millsboro
- family dollar store 1627, milford
- family dollar store 1776, delmar
- family dollar store 2036, milton
- family dollar store 2081, seaford
- family dollar store 2909, selbyville
- family dollar store 3458, laurel
- family dollar store 4289, bridgeville
- marias bella cucina 1, seaford
- ocean state job lot 186, seaford
- walgreens 11016, laurel
- walgreens 11021, rehoboth beach
- walgreens 11026, millsboro
- walgreens 11031, millsboro
- walgreens 11044, ocean view
- walgreens 11047, georgetown
- walgreens 11073, milton
- walgreens 11079, delmar
- walgreens 11132, milford
- walgreens 11136, selbyville
- walgreens 11621, seaford
- walgreens 12752, lewes
- walgreens 13003, bridgeville
Supermarket · 24
- aldi 71168, milford
- aldi 71170, millsboro
- aldi 71190, rehoboth beach
- acme 2679, rehoboth beach
- el mercado market, georgetown
- family pride of delaware, llc 24507, seaford
- food lion 1206, selbyville
- food lion 1294, milford
- food lion 1458, laurel
- food lion 2123, selbyville
- food lion 2224, seaford
- food lion 2521, bridgeville
- food lion 2561, milton
- food lion 875, millsboro
- food lion 879, delmar
- lloyd's iga inc., lewes
- redner's markets, inc. 91, lewes
- redner's warehouse market 418, georgetown
- redner's warehouse market 57, milford
- safeway 2706, rehoboth beach
- the fresh market 229, rehoboth beach
- weis markets 271, lewes
- weis markets 272, millsboro
- weis markets 273, millville
Super Store · 13
- b js wholesale club 197, millsboro
- g & e inc, ocean view
- grocery outlet 742, rehoboth beach
- hocker's superthrift, ocean view
- harris teeter 327, selbyville
- harris teeter 336, millsboro
- super giant 2351, long neck
- super giant 387, rehoboth beach
- super giant 389, millville
- walmart 2419, rehoboth beach
- walmart supercenter 1741, milford
- walmart supercenter 2460, seaford
- walmart supercenter 2791, georgetown
Small Grocery Store · 10
- aps market & grill llc, selbyville
- abi super market, llc 002, seaford
- ebenezer super market llc, seaford
- la guadalupana mexican store, millsboro
- los plebes latino market, lincoln
- m l country store llc, bridgeville
- mi esperanza latin store llc, lewes
- patizan market llc, seaford
- tienda la bonita, seaford
- tienda la estrella llc, lewes
Medium Grocery Store · 9
- beaubien food services, milford
- dodo market 426, laurel
- el dominicano market, seaford
- legros d. one stop market, milford
- mini market mary, llc, selbyville
- n&y mini mart, milford
- super tienda xela, georgetown
- tienda la hispanita, laurel
- tienda la hispanita 2, laurel
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- castros meat market, laurel
- family butcher shop of delmarva, dagsboro
- pine acre farm, millsboro
Seafood Specialty · 3
- harbor house seafood inc, seaford
- lewes fishhouse, lewes
- the shanty seafood, laurel
Farmers' Market · 2
- historic lewes farmers market, lewes
- historic lewes farmers market at kings highway, lewes
Large Grocery Store · 2
- gigante super market, milford
- papayo market, seaford
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- willey's country market, greenwood
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Delaware
Compare Sussex County vs Kent County → · All Delaware counties →
Food access nationally, Delaware in context
Sussex County sits inside Delaware (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 Sussex County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sussex County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sussex County? ▼
Is Sussex County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sussex 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.