PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Telfair County, GA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Telfair 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).

37.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
27.9%
on SNAP
12K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

37.4% of Telfair County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
14.1%
households, no vehicle
24.1%
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 Telfair County's low-access share at 37.4%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 3 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,172 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,665 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 Telfair County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Telfair County's 37.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 84% of them and ranked #510 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Telfair County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 3 census tracts in Telfair 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 Telfair County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 3 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (66.7%) Adequate 33% Limited 0% Severe 67% Food-access tier distribution: Telfair County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Telfair County vs. other Georgia counties

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

% 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 Telfair County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts3
Atlas Population (2010 basis)16,500
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,172
Low-Access Share37.4%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,665

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Telfair County
IndicatorValue
Population11,831
Median Household Income$50,929
Poverty Rate24.1%well above the national average
SNAP Households935
SNAP Participation Rate27.9%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle14.1%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population18.8%
SNAP participation in Telfair County 27.9%

About 27.9% of Telfair County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 37.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 27.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 935 households here.
  • 14.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Telfair County

above the national share

2 of Telfair County's 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 66.7% of all its tracts.

An estimated 6,172 residents, roughly 37.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,665 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Telfair County

Telfair County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 10

  • flash foods llc 27431, mc rae
  • flash foods llc 2745072, lumber city
  • flash foods llc 43, milan
  • friendly gus 27, mc rae helena
  • jacks mart, mcrae helena
  • mac's food, lumber city
  • marathon food mart, mc rae helena
  • quick stop 1, mcrae helena
  • quickstop 2, mc rae helena
  • rkrishna 2019 inc, mcrae helena

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dollar general 18614, jacksonville
  • dollar general 7047, milan
  • dollar general 30646, lumber city
  • dollar general 3982, mcrae helena
  • dollar tree 6745, helena
  • la gloria 1, mcrae helena

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • lumber city iga, lumber city

Super Store · 1

  • harveys supermarket 1656, mcrae

Supermarket · 1

  • piggly wiggly, mcrae helena

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Georgia

Appling County
47.8% low-access · 19.6% SNAP
Atkinson County
23.5% low-access · 26.2% SNAP
Bacon County
3.3% low-access · 20.9% SNAP
Baker County
61.3% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
24.6% low-access · 16.2% SNAP
Banks County
1.8% low-access · 9.0% SNAP

Compare Telfair County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Telfair County sits inside Georgia (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 Telfair County has low food access? ▼
37.4% of residents in Telfair County, GA 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 Telfair County? ▼
27.9% of households in Telfair County receive SNAP, covering 935 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Telfair County? ▼
The poverty rate in Telfair County, GA is 24.1%, with a median household income of $50,929 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Telfair County a food desert? ▼
2 of Telfair County's 3 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 Telfair County households lack a vehicle? ▼
14.1% of households in Telfair 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.