County food-access profile · North Carolina
Vance County, NC
Most of Vance County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 6.1%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 24.3%
- on SNAP
- 42K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
6.1% of Vance County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 8.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.8%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Vance County fares better than most: just 6.1% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 10 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,788 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,360 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 Vance County compares nationally
Food access in Vance County compares favorably nationally: its 6.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,760).
Vance County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Vance County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Vance County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Vance 6.1
Vance County, NC
6.1 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 45,422 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,788 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,360 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 42,322 |
| Median Household Income | $50,465 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,920 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.0%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 24.3% of Vance County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 6.1% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 24.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,920 households here.
- 8.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Vance County
below the national share
2 of Vance County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 2,788 residents, roughly 6.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,360 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Vance County
Vance County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 34 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 34
- 206 rosemart 206, henderson
- 4-u country store, henderson
- 85 truck plaza, henderson
- anna's quick shop, henderson
- brothers food mart, inc, henderson
- dabney pit stop, inc, henderson
- dixie mart llc, henderson
- flowers bakery outlet 1210, henderson
- gate city foods, henderson
- gillburg best bet, henderson
- henderson corner store, henderson
- henderson food mart, henderson
- highway petroleums inc., henderson
- kwik stop, henderson
- lucky 7 food mart, henderson
- lucky spot, henderson
- maza food mart, henderson
- new hope mini mart, henderson
- nuestro porvenir, llc, henderson
- on the mark #1, henderson
- on the run mart, henderson
- oxford road convenience mart, henderson
- park & play 1, henderson
- quick mart, henderson
- refuel 1123, middleburg
- refuel 1124, henderson
- rose mart 17360, henderson
- saturn a s inc, henderson
- sheetz 471, henderson
- solo mart, henderson
- speedway 8216, henderson
- speedway 8669, henderson
- star grocery 1, henderson
- williamsboro grocery inc of nc, henderson
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- dollar general 2250, henderson
- dollar general 8171, henderson
- dollar general 11770, kittrell
- dollar general 14737, henderson
- dollar general 15688, middleburg
- dollar general 16339, henderson
- dollar general 20851, manson
- dollar general 21031, henderson
- dollar general 23323, henderson
- dollar general 25227, henderson
- dollar tree 432, henderson
- dollar tree 4868, henderson
- family dollar store 3776, henderson
- family dollar 244, henderson
- family dollar 4643, henderson
- family dollar store 11588, henderson
- roses 319, henderson
- walgreens 19096, henderson
- walgreens 7398, henderson
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 80034, henderson
- compare foods, henderson
- food lion 105, henderson
- food lion 1228, henderson
- food lion 1660, henderson
- food lion 344, henderson
Small Grocery Store · 2
- el mercadito, henderson
- la barca supermarket, henderson
Large Grocery Store · 1
- henderson fruit & produce, henderson
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- bearpond market, henderson
Seafood Specialty · 1
- l&j fresh seafood market llc, henderson
Super Store · 1
- walmart s/c 2256, henderson
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Vance County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Vance County sits inside North Carolina (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 Vance County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Vance County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Vance County? ▼
Is Vance County a food desert? ▼
What share of Vance 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.