Signature · 3.7% low-access (8th pct)
Unicoi County, TN
Unicoi County lands in the lower national band on low-access (3.7%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 3.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 13.6%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Unicoi County, TN
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 3.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -18.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lawrence County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Unicoi County lands in the lower national band (3.7%, #2,881 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,881
- national by low-access %
- #78
- in TN
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 346
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 3.7% low-access (8th pct) (-18.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Unicoi County compares nationally
Food access in Unicoi County compares favorably nationally: its 3.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 8% of them (rank #2,882).
Unicoi County's lower-band USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Unicoi County has 1 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Unicoi County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Tennessee, not a full county-board reprint
- Montgomery
Montgomery 47%
47 % low-access
- Henderson 4.1
Henderson 4.1%
4.1 % low-access
- Tipton 4.1
Tipton 4.1%
4.1 % low-access
- Polk 4
Polk 4%
4 % low-access
- Unicoi 3.7
Unicoi 3.7%
3.7 % low-access
- Lawrence 3.5
Lawrence 3.5%
3.5 % low-access
- Grainger 0
Grainger 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 18,313 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 673 |
| Low-Access Share | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 346 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,756 |
| Median Household Income | $52,218 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,059 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
SNAP retailers in Unicoi County
Unicoi County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- badri inc 3, erwin
- black diamond markets 12, unicoi
- mr zip 515, erwin
- murphy usa 7332, unicoi
- quick stop market 18, erwin
- roadrunner market 6006, erwin
- roadrunner market 6040, erwin
- roadrunner market 6049, erwin
- rons market, unicoi
- scotchman 3466, erwin
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 235, erwin
- dollar general 4533, erwin
- dollar general 15818, unicoi
- dollar tree 203, erwin
- walgreen 10299, erwin
Supermarket · 3
- food lion 0323, erwin
- food city 625, erwin
- price less foods 30, erwin
Farmers' Market · 1
- erwin farmers' market, erwin
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter` 3852, unicoi
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Tennessee
One of 94 counties in Tennessee, 6 are shown here.
Compare Unicoi County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Counties near Unicoi County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Unicoi County, both outside Tennessee so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside TN (3.7% here).
- Polk County, MO · 3.7% low-access
- Polk County, MO · 3.7% low-access
- Union County, GA · 3.7% low-access
- Union County, GA · 3.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside TN (13.6% here).
- Bee County, TX · 13.6% SNAP
- Bee County, TX · 13.6% SNAP
- Morris County, TX · 13.6% SNAP
- Morris County, TX · 13.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Unicoi County inside a lower low-access state context
Unicoi County sits inside Tennessee (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Unicoi County, TN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 47171. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.