County food-access profile · Alabama
Tallapoosa County, AL
Most of Tallapoosa 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).
- 7.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.3%
- on SNAP
- 41K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.5% of Tallapoosa County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.3%
- 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, Tallapoosa County fares better than most: just 7.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 10 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,100 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,359 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 Tallapoosa County compares nationally
Food access in Tallapoosa County compares favorably nationally: its 7.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,679).
Tallapoosa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Tallapoosa County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Tallapoosa County vs. other Alabama counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama
- Tallapoosa 7.5
Tallapoosa County, AL
7.5 % low-access
- Autauga
Autauga County, AL
33.9 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, AL
25.1 % low-access
- Barbour
Barbour County, AL
20.5 % low-access
- Bibb 1.6
Bibb County, AL
1.6 % low-access
- Blount 6.8
Blount County, AL
6.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 41,616 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,100 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,359 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 40,938 |
| Median Household Income | $59,356 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,264 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 13.3% of Tallapoosa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,264 households here.
- 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Tallapoosa County
below the national share
1 of Tallapoosa County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 3,100 residents, roughly 7.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,359 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Tallapoosa County
Tallapoosa County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 22
- ac in and out, alexander city
- alexander city exxon #15, alexander city
- amerimart, alexander city
- cherokee food mart 0001, alexander city
- cherokee quick stop 2, alexander city
- circle k store 2709307, alexander city
- corner food mart, alexander city
- d and s quick stop 3, alexander city
- e and js one stop, dadeville
- gas n stuff inc, dadeville
- hill 3 bothers, camp hill
- hillabee quick stop, alexander city
- hkm grocery, alexander city
- koon 3, alexander city
- koon's korner, alexander city
- los latinos 1, alexander city
- lynns quick stop 1, alexander city
- mapco express, inc. 5174, daviston
- mapco express, inc. 5177, alexander city
- mapco express, inc. 5185, alexander city
- mobil 413, alexander city
- murphy usa 5684, alexander city
Combination Grocery/Other · 14
- dollar general 1786, alexander city
- dollar general 18806, dadeville
- dollar general 3339, dadeville
- dollar tree 4133, alexander city
- dollar general 11639, camp hill
- dollar general 12722, daviston
- dollar general 15795, alexander city
- dollar general 15993, jacksons gap
- dollar general 16730, dadeville
- dollar general 17029, alexander city
- dollar general 655, alexander city
- family dollar 12637, dadeville
- walgreens 15614, alexander city
- walgreens 18374, dadeville
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 82245, alexander city
- lake martin grocery, llc, dadeville
- piggly wiggly, daviston
- publix alabama, llc 1878, alexander city
- renfroe's market - alexander city 711, alexander city
- renfroe's market 707., dadeville
Super Store · 2
- piggly wiggly 238, alexander city
- walmart s/c 726, alexander city
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- the grub hub 1, jacksons gap
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Alabama
Compare Tallapoosa County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →
Food access nationally, Alabama in context
Tallapoosa County sits inside Alabama (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 Tallapoosa County has low food access? ▼
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What share of Tallapoosa 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.