PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Waller County, TX

Waller 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.

17.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
12.9%
on SNAP
62K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

17.6% of Waller County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
2.9%
households, no vehicle
14.6%
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).

Waller County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.6% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,596 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,776 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 Waller County compares nationally

Waller County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.6% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,907).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Waller County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Waller 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 Waller County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 1 tracts limited (16.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 67% Limited 17% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Waller County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Waller County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Waller County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)43,205
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population7,596
Low-Access Share17.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,776

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Waller County
IndicatorValue
Population61,552
Median Household Income$80,397
Poverty Rate14.6%near the national average
SNAP Households2,365
SNAP Participation Rate12.9%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population7.8%
SNAP participation in Waller County 12.9%

About 12.9% of Waller County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,365 households here.
  • 2.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Waller County

near the national share

1 of Waller County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 7,596 residents, roughly 17.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,776 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Waller County

Waller County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 13

  • a & m food mart, hempstead
  • always market #11, magnolia
  • brookshire truck stop, brookshire
  • circle k 2742590, hempstead
  • country mart, waller
  • fuel express, hempstead
  • hamner's country store, waller
  • lewis grocery and deli, hempstead
  • pilot travel center 573, hempstead
  • pilot travel center 740, brookshire
  • sunny's hempstead, hempstead
  • the market at sunterra, katy
  • timewise food store 292, brookshire

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 19513, brookshire
  • dollar general 4810, hempstead
  • dollar general 8046, brookshire
  • dollar general 16903, prairie view
  • dollar general 20160, waller
  • dollar general 23620, waller
  • dollar general dollar gen, pattison
  • dollar tree 6720, hempstead

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • gap & bc, llc, brookshire
  • krolczyk meats & drive in, hempstead
  • mercondito los americas, waller

Super Store · 3

  • brookshire brothers 40, brookshire
  • brookshire brothers 61, hempstead
  • walmart 951, hempstead

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • j&j packing co, brookshire
  • killian meat market, hempstead

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • chepes meat market #3 llc, brookshire
  • chepes meat market 2, magnolia

Supermarket · 2

  • alameda meat market 3, hempstead
  • arlan's market #21, hempstead

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • di iorio farm partnership, hempstead

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Waller County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Waller County sits inside Texas (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 Waller County has low food access? ▼
17.6% of residents in Waller County, TX 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 Waller County? ▼
12.9% of households in Waller County receive SNAP, covering 2,365 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Waller County? ▼
The poverty rate in Waller County, TX is 14.6%, with a median household income of $80,397 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Waller County a food desert? ▼
1 of Waller County's 6 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 Waller County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.9% of households in Waller 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.