Signature · 34 SNAP-authorized stores
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 access plate
County Waller County, TX
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 17.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -4.5 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Carson County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Waller County ranks #1,907 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #185 of 252 counties in TX (17.6% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,907
- national by low-access %
- #185
- in TX
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 34 SNAP-authorized stores .
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).
Waller County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Waller County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Waller County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Texas, not a full county-board reprint
- Throckmorton
Throckmorton 100%
100 % low-access
- Moore 17.8
Moore 17.8%
17.8 % low-access
- Brooks 17.7
Brooks 17.7%
17.7 % low-access
- Waller 17.6
Waller 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Carson 17.6
Carson 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Caldwell 17.5
Caldwell 17.5%
17.5 % low-access
- Rains 0
Rains 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 43,205 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,596 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,776 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 61,552 |
| Median Household Income | $80,397 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,365 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.8% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 34 authorized stores; Hempstead holds 44% of them. 4 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Magnolia, Katy, Pattison, Prairie View.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Hempstead | 15 | 6 |
| Brookshire | 9 | 2 |
| Waller | 5 | 1 |
| Magnolia | 2 | none |
| Katy | 1 | none |
| Pattison | 1 | none |
| Prairie View | 1 | none |
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Texas
One of 253 counties in Texas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Waller County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Nationwide peers for Waller County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Waller County, both outside Texas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside TX (17.6% here).
- Edgecombe County, NC · 17.6% low-access
- Cortland County, NY · 17.6% low-access
- Orleans Parish, LA · 17.6% low-access
- Mason County, KY · 17.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside TX (12.9% here).
- Hawkins County, TN · 12.9% SNAP
- Putnam County, WV · 12.9% SNAP
- Susquehanna County, PA · 12.9% SNAP
- Rock County, WI · 12.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Texas among West South Central states
Texas ranks 3rd of 4 West South Central states by population-weighted low-access (25.0%). Waller County, at 17.6%, runs 7.4 pts below the Texas rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Waller County, TX are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 48473. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.