Signature · 8.0% low-access (16th pct)

Upshur County, WV

Upshur County lands in the lower national band on low-access (8.0%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

8.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
19.0%
on SNAP
24K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WV

USDA FARA access plate

County Upshur County, WV

LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-MODERATE 8.0% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -14.1 pts vs US
  • LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
  • SNAP-HEAVY 19.0% SNAP
  • VEH-TYPICAL 8.2% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Cabell County (+ 0.3 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Upshur County lands in the lower national band (8.0%, #2,645 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,645
national by low-access %
#43
in WV
1
low-access tracts
826
food-desert residents

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

Signature read: 8.0% low-access (16th pct) (-14.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).

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).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Upshur County's lower-band USDA tier split

6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Upshur County, WV USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (83.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 83% Limited 0% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Upshur County, WV
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Upshur County has 2 urban and 4 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.

Upshur County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, 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 Upshur County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,254
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population1,952
Low-Access Share8.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population826

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Upshur County
IndicatorValue
Population23,712
Median Household Income$54,338
Poverty Rate19.2%above the national average
SNAP Households1,815
SNAP Participation Rate19.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.2%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.8%

Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in West Virginia

One of 54 counties in West Virginia, 6 are shown here.

Compare Upshur County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →

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

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

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside WV (8.0% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside WV (19.0% 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.

Upshur County inside a lower low-access state context

Upshur County sits inside West Virginia (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 Upshur County, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54097. 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.