PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Tift County, GA

Tift 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.

15.3%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
17.7%
on SNAP
41K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

15.3% of Tift County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
7.3%
households, no vehicle
20.8%
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).

Tift County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.3% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,122 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,301 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 Tift County compares nationally

Tift County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.3% low-access share that beats 33% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,100).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Tift County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Tift 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 Tift County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (66.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 0% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Tift County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Tift 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 Tift County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)40,118
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population6,122
Low-Access Share15.3%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,301

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Tift County
IndicatorValue
Population41,438
Median Household Income$53,255
Poverty Rate20.8%above the national average
SNAP Households2,763
SNAP Participation Rate17.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.9%
SNAP participation in Tift County 17.7%

About 17.7% of Tift County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 15.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,763 households here.
  • 7.3% 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 Tift County

near the national share

3 of Tift County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 6,122 residents, roughly 15.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,301 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Tift County

Tift County has 84 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 50 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 50

  • 1st choice, tifton
  • 41 food mart, tifton
  • a and n food mart, tifton
  • aayden food mart, tifton
  • bay station llc, tifton
  • blue devils corner 1, tifton
  • blue devils corner 2, tifton
  • bobs quick stop, tifton
  • bp quick change 82, tifton
  • circle k 2707255, tifton
  • ez foodmart, brookfield
  • el mercadito 11, tifton
  • elm mart, tifton
  • expressway food mart, chula
  • fastrac 8 3, tifton
  • flash foods llc 274166, tifton
  • flash foods llc 2745083, tifton
  • flash foods llc 2745157, tifton
  • flowers bakery outlet 98, tifton
  • friendly express 101, tifton
  • friendly express 102, tifton
  • gt point, tifton
  • jm food mart, tifton
  • jogni, chula
  • lil pantry, tifton
  • lil pantry #8, tifton
  • love' travel stops & country stores, inc 325, tifton
  • main street beverage, tifton
  • marathon gas, tifton
  • murphy usa 7743, tifton
  • murphy usa 8615, tifton
  • nita's food mart, tifton
  • nouria 1819 tift avenue 545, tifton
  • nouria 311 east 5th street 839, tifton
  • omega food, omega
  • pepi's food mart, tifton
  • pilot travel center 192, tifton
  • quick buy, tifton
  • quick buys 142, tifton
  • r & k food store, tifton
  • sn food mart, tifton
  • shell travel center, tifton
  • speedy 10, tifton
  • speego, tifton
  • sun mart, tifton
  • sunsweet bp, chula
  • susie q's 4, omega
  • tifton food mart, tifton
  • tifton food mart, tifton
  • video tienda jesus maria 1, omega

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • cvs pharmacy 4514, tifton
  • cvs pharmacy 4678, tifton
  • dollar general #7969 7369, tifton
  • dollar general 10931, tifton
  • dollar general 14144, tifton
  • dollar general 2470, tifton
  • dollar general 4315, tifton
  • dollartree 10275, tifton
  • dollar general 12054, ty ty
  • dollar general 15196, tifton
  • dollar general 20112, chula
  • dollar general 22277, tifton
  • dollar general 25165, tifton
  • dollar general 30819, tifton
  • dollar general 6207, tifton
  • dollar general 9481, omega
  • dollar tree 1359, tifton
  • dollar tree 8004, omega
  • family dollar store 384, tifton
  • walgreens 10833, tifton

Medium Grocery Store · 5

  • dean esco's food store#2, omega
  • esco's food store #5, ty ty
  • larosa, tifton
  • ponder meats & produce llc, tifton
  • willis meat market, tifton

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 76141, tifton
  • cost kutter 499, tifton
  • food lion 2800, tifton
  • publix 1422, tifton
  • striplings general store, tifton

Super Store · 3

  • curtis foods, tifton
  • walmart neighborhood market 5198, tifton
  • walmart supercenter 1072, tifton

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • browns seafood, tifton

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 Tift County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Tift 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 Tift County has low food access? ▼
15.3% of residents in Tift 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 Tift County? ▼
17.7% of households in Tift County receive SNAP, covering 2,763 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Tift County? ▼
The poverty rate in Tift County, GA is 20.8%, with a median household income of $53,255 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Tift County a food desert? ▼
3 of Tift County's 9 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 Tift County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.3% of households in Tift 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.