PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Tazewell County, VA

Tazewell County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

19.3%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
15.3%
on SNAP
40K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

19.3% of Tazewell County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.6%
households, no vehicle
18.5%
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).

Tazewell County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.3% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,709 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,734 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 Tazewell County compares nationally

Tazewell County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.3% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,746).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Tazewell County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Tazewell County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Tazewell County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 73% Limited 0% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Tazewell County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Tazewell County vs. other Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Tazewell County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,078
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population8,709
Low-Access Share19.3%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,734

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Tazewell County
IndicatorValue
Population39,624
Median Household Income$47,313
Poverty Rate18.5%above the national average
SNAP Households2,490
SNAP Participation Rate15.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.2%
SNAP participation in Tazewell County 15.3%

About 15.3% of Tazewell County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,490 households here.
  • 6.6% 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 Tazewell County

near the national share

3 of Tazewell County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 8,709 residents, roughly 19.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,734 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Tazewell County

Tazewell County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • buds shopping center, north tazewell
  • corner market 6, bluefield
  • corner mart, bluefield
  • corner mart 2 richland, richlands
  • corner mart 3, bluefield
  • corner mart 460, north tazewell
  • corner mart 5, richlands
  • doran food mart, richlands
  • fas mart 429, pounding mill
  • fas mart 434, cedar bluff
  • fas mart 435, richlands
  • fast stop, bluefield
  • graham mart, bluefield
  • happy mart, north tazewell
  • jay bhoja 2, pounding mill
  • midway, pounding mill
  • pm quickmart, pounding mill
  • pop shop 1, tazewell
  • pop shop 2, north tazewell
  • raven mart, raven
  • stop & save 1, bluefield
  • stop & save 2, north tazewell
  • the cave, tazewell
  • the lucky dog, tazewell
  • va hillbilly 4, bishop
  • valley mart 1, cedar bluff

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • big lots 3120, richlands
  • cvs 6302, north tazewell
  • cvs pharmacy 6303, richlands
  • dollar general 19042, pocahontas
  • dollar general 0265, richlands
  • dollar general 0359, north tazewell
  • dollar general 15629, raven
  • dollar general 17153, north tazewell
  • dollar general 21508, cedar bluff
  • dollar general 22185, bluefield
  • dollar general 30541, tazewell
  • dollar general 3505, richlands
  • dollar general store 16142, north tazewell
  • dollar tree 1914, bluefield
  • dollar tree 2030, pounding mill
  • family dollar store 357, north tazewell
  • family dollar store 721, richlands

Supermarket · 6

  • food city 827, cedar bluff
  • food city 852, bluefield
  • food lion 1176, north tazewell
  • food lion 730, richlands
  • grants supermarket 2, north tazewell
  • grants supermarket 1, richlands

Super Store · 4

  • dollar general market 9817, bluefield
  • sam's club 6569, bluefield
  • walmart supercenter 1763, bluefield
  • walmart supercenter 2761, pounding mill

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • triple j angus farm, cedar bluff

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Tazewell County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Tazewell County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Tazewell County has low food access? ▼
19.3% of residents in Tazewell County, VA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Tazewell County? ▼
15.3% of households in Tazewell County receive SNAP, covering 2,490 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Tazewell County? ▼
The poverty rate in Tazewell County, VA is 18.5%, with a median household income of $47,313 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Tazewell County a food desert? ▼
3 of Tazewell County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Tazewell County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.6% of households in Tazewell County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.