Signature · 2.9% low-access (7th pct)
Swain County, NC
Swain County lands in the lower national band on low-access (2.9%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 2.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 14.7%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Swain County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 2.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -19.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: McDowell County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Swain County lands in the lower national band (2.9%, #2,921 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,921
- national by low-access %
- #90
- in NC
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 211
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 2.9% low-access (7th pct) (-19.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).
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 #2,921).
Swain County's lower-band USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 4 of Swain County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Swain County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Clay 3.2
Clay 3.2%
3.2 % low-access
- Swain 2.9
Swain 2.9%
2.9 % low-access
- McDowell 2.8
McDowell 2.8%
2.8 % low-access
- Graham 2.7
Graham 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
- Warren 2.5
Warren 2.5%
2.5 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| 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% |
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 15 authorized stores; Bryson City holds 87% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Cherokee.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bryson City | 13 | 2 |
| Cherokee | 2 | none |
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Swain County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Swain County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Swain County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (2.9% here).
- Essex County, NY · 2.9% low-access
- Tillamook County, OR · 2.9% low-access
- Saluda County, SC · 2.9% low-access
- McKean County, PA · 2.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (14.7% here).
- Niagara County, NY · 14.7% SNAP
- Lincoln County, NM · 14.7% SNAP
- Hudson County, NJ · 14.7% SNAP
- Cherokee County, TX · 14.7% 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.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). Swain County, at 2.9%, runs 20.0 pts below the North Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Swain County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37173. 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.