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Signature · 7.9% low-access (15th pct)

Union County, SC

Union County lands in the lower national band on low-access (7.9%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

7.9%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
19.6%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

USDA FARA access plate

County Union County, SC

LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-ADEQUATE 7.9% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -14.2 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 19.6% SNAP
  • VEH-GAP 10.2% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 22% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Williamsburg County (+ 0.1 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Union County lands in the lower national band (7.9%, #2,656 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,656
national by low-access %
#38
in SC
2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 7.9% low-access (15th pct) (-14.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).

How Union County compares nationally

Food access in Union County compares favorably nationally: its 7.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 15% of them (rank #2,656).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Union County's lower-band USDA tier split

9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Union County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (77.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 78% Limited 0% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Union County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Union County has 3 urban and 6 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.

Union County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in South Carolina, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Union County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,961
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,292
Low-Access Share7.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,081

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Union County
IndicatorValue
Population26,885
Median Household Income$41,621
Poverty Rate22.6%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,276
SNAP Participation Rate19.6%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.2%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%

Thick SNAP store book in Union County

Union County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • circle k 2721506, union
  • circle k 2723412, jonesville
  • dd's food mart 5, buffalo
  • dd's food mart, union
  • dd's food mart #3, union
  • dds food mart, union
  • dixie curb market, union
  • j and t express n/a, union
  • jonesville convenience store, jonesville
  • jonesville food mart, jonesville
  • kc mart, union
  • kelly 1 stop, union
  • li'l cricket 3813, union
  • li'l cricket 3846, union
  • lockhart one stop 1, union
  • mini mart, union
  • murphy usa 7470, union
  • nouria 303 thompson boulevard 560, union
  • scotchman 3801, union
  • scotchman 3818, buffalo
  • swami101 llc, carlisle
  • union exxon, union

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs pharmacy 3844, union
  • dollar general 1362, jonesville
  • dollar general 19394, union
  • dollar general 2204, union
  • dollartree 10259, union
  • dollar general 11572, union
  • dollar general 11819, buffalo
  • dollar general 12277, union
  • dollar general 20361, carlisle
  • dollar general 7684, whitmire
  • dollar tree 337, union
  • family dollar store 73, union
  • family dollar store 5425, union
  • fresh seafood on main, union

Super Store · 2

  • kj's market -union 624, union
  • walmart supercenter 629, union

Supermarket · 2

  • fresh air galaxy, union
  • save a lot food store 24851, union

Farmers' Market · 1

  • union county farm & craft market, union

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • farmers market fresh pak, union

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in South Carolina

One of 45 counties in South Carolina, 6 are shown here.

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Union County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Counties near Union County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Union County, both outside South Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside SC (7.9% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside SC (19.6% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Union County inside a lower low-access state context

Union County sits inside South Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; 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

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, SC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 45087. 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.