County food-access profile · Texas
Tyler County, TX
Tyler County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 45.1%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 16.4%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
45.1% of Tyler County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.9%
- 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).
Tyler County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 45.1% is well above the national share. 4 of the county's 5 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 9,827 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,517 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 Tyler County compares nationally
Tyler County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.1% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #284 most-affected nationwide.
Tyler County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Tyler County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Tyler County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Tyler
Tyler County, TX
45.1 % 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 | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,766 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,827 |
| Low-Access Share | 45.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,517 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,238 |
| Median Household Income | $55,396 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,175 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 10.5% |
About 16.4% of Tyler County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 45.1% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,175 households here.
- 5.1% 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 Tyler County
well above the national share
2 of Tyler County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 9,827 residents, roughly 45.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,517 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (20.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Tyler County
Tyler County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 10 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- dollar general 14514, fred
- dollar general 509, woodville
- dollar general 10926, warren
- dollar general 17080, woodville
- dollar general 20724, woodville
- dollar general 30263, chester
- dollar tree 6071, woodville
- family dollar 8570, warren
- family dollar store 10646, colmesneil
- family dollar store 11014, spurger
Convenience Store · 9
- c3 fuel stop, colmesneil
- country corner fred, fred
- exxpress mart 16, warren
- quick track 119, spurger
- quick track 120, woodville
- quick track 123, woodville
- quick track 124, colmesneil
- route 69 country store, warren
- woodville chevron, woodville
Super Store · 2
- brookshire brothers 18, woodville
- walmart supercenter 288, woodville
Seafood Specialty · 1
- dnj fish and seafood, woodville
Small Grocery Store · 1
- altx meat market, warren
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Tyler County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Tyler 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 Tyler County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Tyler County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Tyler County? ▼
Is Tyler County a food desert? ▼
What share of Tyler 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.