Signature · 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts)
Upson County, GA
Upson County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of the book) alongside 16.9% low-access.
- 16.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 22.7%
- on SNAP
- 28K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Upson County, GA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 16.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -5.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 22.7% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 11.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 43% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lowndes County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Upson County ranks #1,954 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #89 of 151 counties in GA (16.9% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,954
- national by low-access %
- #89
- in GA
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts) .
How Upson County compares nationally
Upson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.9% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,955).
Upson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Upson County has 2 urban and 5 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.
Upson County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Georgia, not a full county-board reprint
- Chattahoochee
Chattahoochee 97.7%
97.7 % low-access
- Gilmer 17.3
Gilmer 17.3%
17.3 % low-access
- Upson 16.9
Upson 16.9%
16.9 % low-access
- Lowndes 16.9
Lowndes 16.9%
16.9 % low-access
- Haralson 16.7
Haralson 16.7%
16.7 % low-access
- Butts 16.6
Butts 16.6%
16.6 % low-access
- Dade 0
Dade 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 27,153 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,587 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,044 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,029 |
| Median Household Income | $55,429 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,400 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 22.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 11.7%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Upson County
Upson County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 17
- best value, thomaston
- circle k 2745055, thomaston
- country corner, thomaston
- ez stop, thomaston
- fast stop, thomaston
- kelly's truck stop, thomaston
- mahi v patel inc, thomaston
- mike's market, thomaston
- mr bs, thomaston
- murphy usa 6862, thomaston
- north creek shell, thomaston
- pickard grocery, thomaston
- quick stop, thomaston
- sai food mart, thomaston
- southside grocery, thomaston
- sunnyside country store, thomaston
- tt's food mart, thomaston
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- dollar general 14092, yatesville
- dollar general 14765, thomaston
- dollar general 2048, thomaston
- dollar general 15616, thomaston
- dollar general 17797, molena
- dollar general 19969, thomaston
- dollar general 24365, thomaston
- dollar general 30827, thomaston
- dollar tree 2072, thomaston
- walgreens 11490, thomaston
Super Store · 2
- piggly wiggly 430, thomaston
- walmart s/c 1112, thomaston
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 76169, thomaston
- ingles markets 449, thomaston
Large Grocery Store · 1
- northside superette, thomaston
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Georgia
One of 158 counties in Georgia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Upson County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Nationwide peers for Upson County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Upson County, both outside Georgia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside GA (16.9% here).
- Washington County, ID · 16.9% low-access
- Washington County, ID · 16.9% low-access
- Mississippi County, AR · 16.9% low-access
- Mississippi County, AR · 16.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside GA (22.7% here).
- Putnam County, FL · 22.7% SNAP
- Putnam County, FL · 22.7% SNAP
- Lauderdale County, TN · 22.7% SNAP
- Lauderdale County, TN · 22.7% 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.
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Upson County sits inside Georgia (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 Upson County, GA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 13293. 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.