PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Walker County, GA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Walker County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

27.9%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
12.0%
on SNAP
69K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

27.9% of Walker County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
3.7%
households, no vehicle
13.3%
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).

USDA data puts Walker County's low-access share at 27.9%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 19,204 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,434 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

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Walker County's 27.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,093 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Walker County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 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, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (53.8%) 1 tracts limited (7.7%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (38.5%) Adequate 54% Limited 8% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Walker County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Walker County vs. other Georgia counties

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

% 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 Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)68,756
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population19,204
Low-Access Share27.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,434

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Walker County
IndicatorValue
Population68,762
Median Household Income$59,469
Poverty Rate13.3%near the national average
SNAP Households3,154
SNAP Participation Rate12.0%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.4%
SNAP participation in Walker County 12.0%

About 12.0% of Walker County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,154 households here.
  • 3.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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

above the national share

5 of Walker County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 38.5% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 19,204 residents, roughly 27.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,434 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (53.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Walker County

Walker County has 76 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 44 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 44

  • aaa enterprises usa, chickamauga
  • catlett grocery, la fayette
  • circle k 2723506, flintstone
  • circle k 2723508, rossville
  • circle k 2723510, la fayette
  • circle k 2723511, chickamauga
  • circle k store 2709339, la fayette
  • circle k store 2709346, rock spring
  • cornerstone market #11 no, rossville
  • country food mart, chickamauga
  • dbrothers1 inc, trion
  • discount market, rossville
  • ed's grocery, chickamauga
  • flintstone food market, flintstone
  • jk beer wine tobacco convenience store, chickamauga
  • k k enterprise 1, lafayette
  • k k enterprise 2, rising fawn
  • k k enterprise 3, rossville
  • kangaroo express, la fayette
  • kenny's grocery and tobacco store, chickamauga
  • kwik stop, la fayette
  • lil pig market, rossville
  • lucky grocery, la fayette
  • mapco express, inc. 3508, rossville
  • mapco express, inc. 3629, flintstone
  • mapco express, inc. 3631, la fayette
  • mapco express, inc. 3644, rossville
  • mapco express, inc. 3645, rossville
  • mapco express, inc. 3663, lookout mountain
  • maruti express inc., flintstone
  • murphy usa 6563, la fayette
  • paul's place #5, rossville
  • pit stop 1, la fayette
  • pit stop 5, la fayette
  • pit stop 6, la fayette
  • r c food & fuel, la fayette
  • ritz beer & grill, la fayette
  • smiley's corner, rock spring
  • sunrise market 121 1, rossville
  • texaco pitstop, rossville
  • tienda y tortilleria vargas llc 1, rossville
  • tigermarket 209 209, chickamauga
  • uncle jeds, la fayette
  • wilson food mart, rossville

Combination Grocery/Other · 21

  • cvs pharmacy 7223, la fayette
  • dollar general 0101, la fayette
  • dollar general 8018, rossville
  • dollar general 8035, chickamauga
  • dollar general 8202, flintstone
  • dollar general 9627, la fayette
  • dollartree 9926, ft oglethorpe
  • dollar general 11619, chickamauga
  • dollar general 15801, la fayette
  • dollar general 17459, chickamauga
  • dollar general 20624, la fayette
  • dollar general 23209, lookout mountain
  • dollar general 30050, rossville
  • dollar general 30746, la fayette
  • dollar general 6930, rossville
  • dollar general store 17837, la fayette
  • dollar general store 8631, rock spring
  • dollar tree 2010, la fayette
  • dollar tree 6589, rossville
  • dollar tree 8463, chickamauga
  • family dollar 2874, rossville

Supermarket · 4

  • cost kutter grocery 437, la fayette
  • food lion 1563, chickamauga
  • food city 217, rossville
  • food city 252, la fayette

Farmers' Market · 2

  • 27 farmers market, rock spring
  • walker county farmers market, rock spring

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2

  • lafayette fruit market, la fayette
  • lafayette fruit market inc, rossville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • rustys meat market, rossville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • super mercado mexico lindo, rossville

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 2988, lafayette

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Georgia

Appling County
47.8% low-access · 19.6% SNAP
Atkinson County
23.5% low-access · 26.2% SNAP
Bacon County
3.3% low-access · 20.9% SNAP
Baker County
61.3% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
24.6% low-access · 16.2% SNAP
Banks County
1.8% low-access · 9.0% SNAP

Compare Walker County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Walker County sits inside Georgia (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? ▼
27.9% of residents in Walker County, GA 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? ▼
12.0% of households in Walker County receive SNAP, covering 3,154 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Walker County? ▼
The poverty rate in Walker County, GA is 13.3%, with a median household income of $59,469 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Walker County a food desert? ▼
5 of Walker County's 13 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? ▼
3.7% 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.