County food-access profile · West Virginia
Upshur County, WV
Upshur 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.
- 8.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 19.0%
- on SNAP
- 24K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.0% of Upshur County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 826
- food-desert residents
- 8.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.2%
- 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).
Upshur County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.0% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 1,952 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 826 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 Upshur County compares nationally
Upshur County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.0% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,646).
Upshur County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Upshur County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Upshur County vs. other West Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia
- Upshur 8
Upshur County, WV
8 % low-access
- Barbour 11.4
Barbour County, WV
11.4 % low-access
- Berkeley
Berkeley County, WV
38.8 % low-access
- Boone 6.6
Boone County, WV
6.6 % low-access
- Braxton
Braxton County, WV
18.3 % low-access
- Brooke
Brooke County, WV
16.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,254 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,952 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 826 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,712 |
| Median Household Income | $54,338 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,815 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.0%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.2%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.8% |
About 19.0% of Upshur County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,815 households here.
- 8.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Upshur County
near the national share
1 of Upshur County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
An estimated 1,952 residents, roughly 8.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 826 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Upshur County
Upshur County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- arlington mini-mart, rock cave
- bfs foods 79, buckhannn
- coe's country store llc, french creek
- go mart 48, buckhannon
- hodgesville mini mart, buckhannon
- lazy acres mart, buckhannon
- little general store 7765, buckhannon
- mountaineer mart 137, buckhannon
- mountaineer mart 138, buckhannon
- par mar store 194, tallmansville
- par mar store 195, buckhannon
- par mar store 196, buckhannon
- sheetz 214, buckhannon
- sunny's variety mart, buckhannon
- triple l mart inc, buckhannon
- the brushy fork mart, buckhannon
- the george's general store llc, buckhannon
- village hardware, inc., french creek
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 7649, buckhannon
- dollar general 0902, buckhannon
- dollar general 15304, french creek
- dollar tree 2028, buckhannon
- family dollar 3249, buckhannon
- family dollar store 5891, rock cave
- kari's country market llc, french creek
- walgreens 17440, buckhannon
Super Store · 2
- kroger 722, buckhannon
- walmart supercenter 2809, buckhannon
Farmers' Market · 1
- white mountain farm, buckhannon
Large Grocery Store · 1
- buckhannon shop n save express, buckhannon
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- wendlings food service, buckhannon
Supermarket · 1
- rock cave iga, rock cave
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in West Virginia
Compare Upshur County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, West Virginia in context
Upshur County sits inside West Virginia (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 Upshur County has low food access? ▼
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What is the poverty rate in Upshur County? ▼
Is Upshur County a food desert? ▼
What share of Upshur 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.