Signature · 53.5% low-access (95th pct)
Sussex County, VA
Sussex County sits in the upper national band on low-access (53.5%, +31.4 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 53.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.9%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Sussex County, VA
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-SEVERE 53.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +31.4 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 18.9% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 9.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Cumberland County (+ 2.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Sussex County sits in the upper national band (53.5%, #169 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #169
- national by low-access %
- #6
- in VA
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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: 53.5% low-access (95th pct) (+31.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Sussex County compares nationally
Sussex County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 53.5% low-access share outpaces 95% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #169 most-affected nationwide.
Sussex County's elevated USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Sussex County has 0 urban and 5 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.
Sussex County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Cumberland
Cumberland 55.5%
55.5 % low-access
- Sussex
Sussex 53.5%
53.5 % low-access
- Chesterfield
Chesterfield 47.2%
47.2 % low-access
- Petersburg ci…
Petersburg ci… 46.8%
46.8 % low-access
- James City
James City 46.7%
46.7 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 12,087 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,463 |
| Low-Access Share | 53.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,667 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,765 |
| Median Household Income | $63,530 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 715 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.9%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.2%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 15.3% |
SNAP retailers in Sussex County
Sussex County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (63% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- 460 citgo, waverly
- 7 eleven 21468j, waverly
- aplus 40006h, wakefield
- goasis stony creek 487, stony creek
- pran $ world llc, waverly
- rainbow fuels inc, stony creek
- smith country store, stony creek
- stonycreek convenience store 1, stony creek
- ta express stony creek 486, stony creek
- waverly convenience, waverly
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollartree 8151, waverly
- dollar general 10031, wakefield
- dollar general 25103, stony creek
- dollar general 393, waverly
- family dollar 9014, stony creek
Supermarket · 1
- wakefields great valu, wakefield
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Sussex County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Counties near Sussex County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Sussex County, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (53.5% here).
- Hill County, MT · 53.5% low-access
- Hill County, MT · 53.5% low-access
- Riley County, KS · 53.5% low-access
- Riley County, KS · 53.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (18.9% here).
- Adams County, WA · 18.9% SNAP
- Adams County, WA · 18.9% SNAP
- Cambria County, PA · 18.9% SNAP
- Cambria County, PA · 18.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Sussex County inside a higher low-access state context
Sussex County sits inside Virginia (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 .
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 Sussex County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51183. 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.