County food-access profile · Georgia
Upson County, GA
Upson 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.
- 16.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 22.7%
- on SNAP
- 28K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.9% of Upson County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 11.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.3%
- 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).
Upson County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.9% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,587 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,044 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 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
All 7 census tracts in Upson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Upson County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Upson 16.9
Upson County, GA
16.9 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 22.7% of Upson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 22.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,400 households here.
- 11.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 tracts 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 Upson County
near the national share
3 of Upson County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 42.9% of all its tracts.
An estimated 4,587 residents, roughly 16.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,044 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Upson County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Upson County sits inside Georgia (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 Upson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Upson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Upson County? ▼
Is Upson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Upson 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.