County food-access profile · Texas
Taylor County, TX
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).
- 24.9%
- low-access pop.
- 11
- food-desert tracts
- 11.1%
- on SNAP
- 146K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.9% of Taylor County residents live in a low-access area, and 11 of its 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 14
- low-access tracts
- 13K
- food-desert residents
- 3.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.7%
- 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 24.9%, above the national share. 14 of the county's 37 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 32,682 people. 11 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,079 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 24.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,304 most-affected nationwide.
Taylor County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 37 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 Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Taylor
Taylor County, TX
24.9 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 37 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 131,506 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 14 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 11 |
| Low-Access Population | 32,682 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,079 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 145,863 |
| Median Household Income | $67,139 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.7%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,088 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.7% |
About 11.1% of Taylor County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,088 households here.
- 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 11 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
11 of Taylor County's 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 29.7% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 14.
An estimated 32,682 residents, roughly 24.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,079 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 23 tracts (62.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Taylor County
Taylor County has 150 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 80 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 80
- 14th street mart, abilene
- 7-eleven 004, abilene
- 7-eleven 005, abilene
- 7-eleven 006, abilene
- 7-eleven 011, abilene
- 7-eleven 015, tye
- 7-eleven 016, abilene
- 7-eleven 021, abilene
- 7-eleven 022, abilene
- 7-eleven 024, abilene
- 7-eleven 027, merkel
- 7-eleven 031, abilene
- 7-eleven 033, abilene
- 7-eleven 035, abilene
- 7-eleven 039, abilene
- 7-eleven 042, abilene
- 7-eleven 044, abilene
- 7-eleven 053, trent
- 7-eleven 054, abilene
- 7-eleven 055, abilene
- 7-eleven 057, abilene
- 7-eleven 066, abilene
- 7-eleven 069, abilene
- 7-eleven 072, abilene
- 7-eleven 078, abilene
- 7-eleven 079, abilene
- 7-eleven 082, abilene
- 7-eleven 083, abilene
- 7-eleven 086, abilene
- 7-eleven 087, abilene
- 7-eleven 089, abilene
- 7-eleven 090, abilene
- 7-eleven 091, abilene
- 7-eleven 092, abilene
- 7-eleven 094, abilene
- 7-eleven 123, abilene
- 7-eleven 124, abilene
- 7-eleven 138, abilene
- 7-eleven 140, abilene
- 7-eleven, inc. 42496, abilene
- 7-eleven, inc. 42500, abilene
- 7-eleven, inc. 42516, abilene
- allsups 129, abilene
- allsups 187, abilene
- allsups 215, abilene
- allsups 228, tuscola
- allsups 301, abilene
- allsups 328, abilene
- allsups 329, abilene
- abilene food mart, abilene
- allsup's 102428, abilene
- allsups 094, abilene
- allsups 102390, merkel
- allsups 102391, merkel
- allsups 321, abilene
- allsups 325, abilene
- allsups 326, abilene
- allsups 331, abilene
- allsups 332, abilene
- allsups 347, abilene
- allsups 350, abilene
- cefco 2089, abilene
- dk 143, abilene
- dk 43, abilene
- hiway grocery, lawn
- hop in 1109, abilene
- hop in 3901, abilene
- hop in 501, abilene
- kent kwik 436, abilene
- little abilene, abilene
- little abilene, abilene
- murphy usa 7235, abilene
- pilot travel center 738, tye
- quiktrip 7904, abilene
- rifa hop in, abilene
- texas express, abilene
- usa mart, abilene
- yesway 1047, abilene
- yesway 1075, tye
- yesway 1077, tye
Combination Grocery/Other · 50
- braum's 315, abilene
- braum's 318, abilene
- braum's 320, abilene
- blessing market, abilene
- cvs pharmacy inc 7271, abilene
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7260, abilene
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7443, abilene
- dollar general 14613, abilene
- dollar general 14752, abilene
- dollar general 1891, abilene
- dollar general 1903, abilene
- dollar general 1918, abilene
- dollar general 5848, merkel
- dollar general 7119, abilene
- dollar general 8022, abilene
- dollartree 10897, abilene
- dollartree 6555, abilene
- dollartree 8792, abilene
- dollartree 9431, abilene
- dollartree 9521, abilene
- dollartree 9969, abilene
- dollar general 10020, abilene
- dollar general 10060, abilene
- dollar general 15922, abilene
- dollar general 15926, abilene
- dollar general 19723, buffalo gap
- dollar general 20407, abilene
- dollar general 20764, abilene
- dollar general 21021, abilene
- dollar general 23403, tuscola
- dollar general 24079, abilene
- dollar general 25378, tye
- dollar tree 2329, abilene
- dollar tree 3625, abilene
- dollar tree 7850, abilene
- dollar tree 8309, abilene
- family dollar 12050, abilene
- family dollar 12067, tuscola
- family dollar 12740, abilene
- family dollar 12854, abilene
- family dollar 13598, abilene
- family dollar 1722, abilene
- family dollar 2887, merkel
- family dollar 3635, abilene
- family dollar 9145, abilene
- lifeland market, abilene
- walgreens 15187, abilene
- walgreens 04899, abilene
- walgreens 07937, abilene
- walgreens 4875, abilene
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 75104, abilene
- cash saver cost plus supermarket 1422, abilene
- heb 070, abilene
- market street 679, abilene
- natural grocers by vitamin cottage u046, abilene
- spring market 725, merkel
- united supermarket 545, abilene
- united supermarket 547, abilene
- united supermarket 548, abilene
Super Store · 5
- sam's club 8226, abilene
- target store 219, abilene
- walmart neighborhood market 5715, abilene
- walmart supercenter #535 0535, abilene
- walmart supercenter 536, abilene
Large Grocery Store · 2
- la mexicana meat market, abilene
- lowes 12, tuscola
Small Grocery Store · 2
- a & m african market, abilene
- g3 homegrown stores, llc 3, abilene
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- fiston international market, abilene
Military Commissary · 1
- dyess commissary 805, dyess afb
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Taylor County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Taylor County sits inside Texas (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.