County food-access profile · Florida
Taylor County, FL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Taylor 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).
- 29.7%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 16.9%
- on SNAP
- 22K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
29.7% of Taylor County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 8.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.3%
- 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).
USDA data puts Taylor County's low-access share at 29.7%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 4 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,714 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,329 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 Taylor County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Taylor County's 29.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #956 most-affected nationwide.
Taylor County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 4 census tracts in Taylor County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Taylor County vs. other Florida counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Florida
- Taylor
Taylor County, FL
29.7 % low-access
- Alachua 19.2
Alachua County, FL
19.2 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, FL
55.6 % low-access
- Bay
Bay County, FL
31.5 % low-access
- Bradford 1.1
Bradford County, FL
1.1 % low-access
- Brevard
Brevard County, FL
41.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 22,570 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,714 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,329 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,503 |
| Median Household Income | $49,073 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,351 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.0%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 12.0% |
About 16.9% of Taylor County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 29.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,351 households here.
- 8.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Taylor County
above the national share
3 of Taylor County's 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 75.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 6,714 residents, roughly 29.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,329 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Taylor County
Taylor County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 16
- country kitchen, perry
- ez discount beverage & groceries, perry
- fast freddys, perry
- fast track 411, greenville
- gujjar jatt corporation, steinhatchee
- j j gas & grill inc, perry
- jiffy food store 314, steinhatchee
- johnson & johnson 21, perry
- mukhi 3710 inc, greenville
- munchies food store, perry
- murphy usa 7028, perry
- perry fast mart, perry
- speed stop, perry
- star food mart, perry
- star food mart 2, perry
- star food mart 3, salem
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 4472, perry
- dollar general 0614, perry
- dollar general 9065, steinhatchee
- dollartree 3507, perry
- dollar general 12056, perry
- dollar general 22431, perry
- dollar general 23981, greenville
- dollar general 30282, perry
- family dollar 12726, steinhatchee
- family dollar store 429, perry
- walgreens 12578, perry
Supermarket · 2
- save-a-lot 24503, perry
- winn-dixie 104, perry
Seafood Specialty · 1
- perry fish market, perry
Small Grocery Store · 1
- krazy keaton, perry
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 5172, perry
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Florida
Compare Taylor County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Food access nationally, Florida in context
Taylor County sits inside Florida (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 Taylor County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Taylor County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Taylor County? ▼
Is Taylor County a food desert? ▼
What share of Taylor 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.