Signature · 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts)
Union County, FL
Union County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of the book) alongside 42.7% low-access.
- 42.7%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 16.8%
- on SNAP
- 16K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Union County, FL
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 42.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +20.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 67% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Brevard County ( -0.9 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Union County sits in the upper national band (42.7%, #327 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #327
- national by low-access %
- #11
- in FL
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts) .
How Union County compares nationally
Union County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 42.7% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #327 most-affected nationwide.
Union County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Union County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (2 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Union County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Florida, not a full county-board reprint
- Glades
Glades 56.2%
56.2 % low-access
- Nassau
Nassau 44%
44 % low-access
- Union
Union 42.7%
42.7 % low-access
- Brevard
Brevard 41.8%
41.8 % low-access
- Okaloosa
Okaloosa 41.5%
41.5 % low-access
- Escambia
Escambia 41%
41 % low-access
- Gilchrist 0.1
Gilchrist 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,535 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,628 |
| Low-Access Share | 42.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,029 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,701 |
| Median Household Income | $64,146 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 726 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 28.5% |
SNAP retailers in Union County
Union County has 11 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 5 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 11 authorized stores; Lake Butler holds 82% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Raiford.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Butler | 9 | 1 |
| Raiford | 2 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- cvs pharmacy 5172, lake butler
- dollar general 4365, lake butler
- dollar general 12716, raiford
- dollar general 12840, lake butler
- family dollar store 1523, lake butler
Convenience Store · 5
- circle k 2722432, lake butler
- circle k 2722842, raiford
- fast track foods 214, lake butler
- sunstop 326, lake butler
- sunstop 336, lake butler
Super Store · 1
- spires iga store, lake butler
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Florida
One of 66 counties in Florida, 6 are shown here.
Compare Union County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Counties near Union County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Union County, both outside Florida so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside FL (42.7% here).
- Kodiak Island Borough, AK · 42.7% low-access
- Sussex County, NJ · 42.7% low-access
- Butler County, OH · 42.7% low-access
- Hamblen County, TN · 42.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside FL (16.8% here).
- Muscogee County, GA · 16.8% SNAP
- Rowan County, KY · 16.8% SNAP
- Androscoggin County, ME · 16.8% SNAP
- Roscommon County, MI · 16.8% 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.
Florida among South Atlantic states
Florida ranks 4th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (25.1%). Union County, at 42.7%, runs 17.6 pts above the Florida rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Union County, FL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 12125. 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.