County food-access profile · Texas
Uvalde County, TX
Uvalde County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 45.2%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 24.2%
- on SNAP
- 25K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
45.2% of Uvalde County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 22.2%
- 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).
Uvalde County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 45.2% is well above the national share. 4 of the county's 5 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 11,928 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,617 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 Uvalde County compares nationally
Uvalde County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.2% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #282 most-affected nationwide.
Uvalde County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Uvalde County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Uvalde County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Uvalde
Uvalde County, TX
45.2 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 26,405 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,928 |
| Low-Access Share | 45.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,617 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 24,881 |
| Median Household Income | $53,801 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.2%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,041 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.4% |
About 24.2% of Uvalde County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 45.2% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 24.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,041 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Uvalde County
well above the national share
4 of Uvalde County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 80.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 11,928 residents, roughly 45.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,617 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (20.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Uvalde County
Uvalde County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (67% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- five points market 16, uvalde
- five points market 23, uvalde
- frio country store, llc, concan
- gas go markets inc 13, sabinal
- max e mart 05, uvalde
- max e mart 06, uvalde
- minits 06, uvalde
- minits 102, uvalde
- minits 105, uvalde
- minits 107, uvalde
- minits 108, uvalde
- minits 111 111, concan
- murphy usa 7125, uvalde
- quick trip, uvalde
- stripes 40519h, uvalde
- stripes 40521, uvalde
- saiuvalde gas, uvalde
- tex best travel center 531, uvalde
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 3780, uvalde
- dollar tree 2826, uvalde
- dollar general 25869, uvalde
- family dollar 10346, sabinal
- family dollar 2296, uvalde
- walgreens 13447, uvalde
Small Grocery Store · 1
- center food mart, sabinal
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 782, uvalde
Supermarket · 1
- heb 441, uvalde
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Uvalde County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Uvalde County sits inside Texas (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 Uvalde County has low food access? ▼
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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.