County food-access profile · North Carolina
Swain County, NC
Most of Swain County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 2.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 14.7%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
2.9% of Swain County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 211
- food-desert residents
- 6.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.1%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Swain County fares better than most: just 2.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 4 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 405 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Swain County compares nationally
Food access in Swain County compares favorably nationally: its 2.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,923).
Swain County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 4 census tracts in Swain County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Swain County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Swain 2.9
Swain County, NC
2.9 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 13,981 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 405 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 211 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 14,013 |
| Median Household Income | $52,349 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 882 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
About 14.7% of Swain County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 2.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 882 households here.
- 6.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $52,349 with a 19.1% poverty rate.
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 Swain County
below the national share
An estimated 405 residents, roughly 2.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 211 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
None of Swain County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.
SNAP retailers in Swain County
Swain County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- bj's gas & gift store, cherokee
- big cove grocery, cherokee
- bjs quickstop, bryson city
- coopers creek general store, bryson city
- hot spot 1102, bryson city
- mapco 648, bryson city
- shivaji inc 1, bryson city
- the local market 210, bryson city
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 7274, bryson city
- dollartree 8150, bryson city
- dollar general 22423, bryson city
- dollar general 22714, bryson city
- walgreens 16103, bryson city
Supermarket · 2
- ingles markets 35, bryson city
- iga bryson city, bryson city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Swain County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Swain County sits inside North Carolina (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 Swain County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Swain County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Swain County? ▼
Is Swain County a food desert? ▼
What share of Swain 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.