PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Alabama

Walker County, AL

Walker 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.

8.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.3%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AL

The food-access picture

8.6% of Walker County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.0%
households, no vehicle
18.5%
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).

Walker County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.6% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 18 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,793 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,492 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 Walker County compares nationally

Walker County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.6% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,597).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Walker County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Walker County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Walker County, AL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 16 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 16 tracts adequate (88.9%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 89% Limited 0% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Walker County, AL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Walker County vs. other Alabama counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Alabama

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Walker County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)67,023
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population5,793
Low-Access Share8.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,492

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Walker County
IndicatorValue
Population64,841
Median Household Income$56,509
Poverty Rate18.5%above the national average
SNAP Households3,632
SNAP Participation Rate14.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Walker County 14.3%

About 14.3% of Walker County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,632 households here.
  • 5.0% 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 Walker County

near the national share

2 of Walker County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

An estimated 5,793 residents, roughly 8.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,492 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 16 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Walker County

Walker County has 69 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 25 locations (36% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 25

  • cvs pharmacy 4834, jasper
  • dollar general 0637, carbon hill
  • dollar general 11146, nauvoo
  • dollar general 3660, jasper
  • dollar general 4926, jasper
  • dollar general 6397, jasper
  • dollar general 6449, jasper
  • dollar general 7019, jasper
  • dollar general 7784, parrish
  • dollar general 9358, cordova
  • dollar general 9527, oakman
  • dollar general 10523, jasper
  • dollar general 12653, jasper
  • dollar general 12660, sipsey
  • dollar general 12666, jasper
  • dollar general 15289, dora
  • dollar general 17400, parrish
  • dollar general 20197, eldridge
  • dollar general 21309, nauvoo
  • dollar general 24438, jasper
  • dollar general 25342, carbon hill
  • dollar general 6486, sumiton
  • dollar tree 0112, jasper
  • walgreens 11450, sumiton
  • walgreens 9683, jasper

Convenience Store · 23

  • anaya business inc, cordova
  • baldo sunoco, jasper
  • buy rite, jasper
  • circle k 2723832, jasper
  • flowers bakery outlet 109, jasper
  • grocery one, empire
  • grub mart 30, sumiton
  • highway 69 quick stop, jasper
  • holcombs grocery, jasper
  • love's travel stop 466, jasper
  • medcenter texaco, jasper
  • murphy express 8638, jasper
  • murphy usa 7930, sumiton
  • naira and nael llc, jasper
  • odoms grocery, jasper
  • quiktrip 7181, jasper
  • raceway 6832, jasper
  • rj food, jasper
  • sams convenience store, jasper
  • saz jet pep, dora
  • smithlake trade center, jasper
  • t j food mart, sumiton
  • tienda mexicana y taqueria el paisa, jasper

Supermarket · 7

  • aldi 70078, jasper
  • associated foods, sumiton
  • bill & sons supermarket, carbon hill
  • food city 510, jasper
  • houchens save-a-lot 206, jasper
  • son's of parrish, inc, parrish
  • winn dixie 0496, jasper

Super Store · 5

  • gateway supermarket #139, jasper
  • piggly wiggly, dora
  • son's supermarket inc, jasper
  • walmart s/c 0287, jasper
  • walmart s/c 2723, sumiton

Small Grocery Store · 4

  • la favorita mexican market, jasper
  • la tienda guatelinda 1, jasper
  • n&n meat co, jasper
  • tienda & carniceria chivarreto, jasper

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2

  • little giant farm market, sumiton
  • sandlin produce, jasper

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • oakman mini mart, oakman
  • piggly wiggly 82, cordova

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • hwy 5 mini mart, jasper

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Alabama

Autauga County
33.9% low-access · 9.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
25.1% low-access · 6.7% SNAP
Barbour County
20.5% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bibb County
1.6% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Blount County
6.8% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Bullock County
68.5% low-access · 34.0% SNAP

Compare Walker County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →

Food access nationally, Alabama in context

Walker County sits inside Alabama (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Walker County has low food access? ▼
8.6% of residents in Walker County, AL live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Walker County? ▼
14.3% of households in Walker County receive SNAP, covering 3,632 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Walker County? ▼
The poverty rate in Walker County, AL is 18.5%, with a median household income of $56,509 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Walker County a food desert? ▼
2 of Walker County's 18 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Walker County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.0% of households in Walker County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.