PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Walton County, GA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Walton 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).

33.2%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
11.5%
on SNAP
103K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

33.2% of Walton County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
2.7%
households, no vehicle
11.9%
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 Walton County's low-access share at 33.2%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 15 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 27,806 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,132 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 Walton County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Walton County's 33.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #728 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Walton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Walton 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 Walton County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (53.3%) 4 tracts limited (26.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 53% Limited 27% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Walton County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Walton 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 Walton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)83,768
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population27,806
Low-Access Share33.2%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,132

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Walton County
IndicatorValue
Population103,313
Median Household Income$84,945
Poverty Rate11.9%below the national average
SNAP Households4,106
SNAP Participation Rate11.5%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Walton County 11.5%

About 11.5% of Walton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,106 households here.
  • 2.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Walton County

above the national share

3 of Walton County's 15 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 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 27,806 residents, roughly 33.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,132 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (53.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Walton County

Walton County has 85 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 46

  • alam 7744 llc, monroe
  • allstar, monroe
  • between grocery, monroe
  • chevron, monroe
  • chevron, loganville
  • chevron bold springs 786 llc, monroe
  • chevron food mart, loganville
  • circle k, monroe
  • citgo loganville, loganville
  • cowpens, monroe
  • d&l chevron, monroe
  • discount tobacco, loganville
  • east church food mart, monroe
  • flowers bakery outlet 173, monroe
  • food mart monroe (market), monroe
  • golden pantry food stores 1031, monroe
  • good hope food mart, good hope
  • gratis food mart, monroe
  • gx market, loganville
  • indian mart, loganville
  • j & b food mart, monroe
  • jerry's corner store, loganville
  • jack peters grocery, monroe
  • loganville shell, loganville
  • marathon food mart, monroe
  • maxi mart, monroe
  • mini food mart, loganville
  • mis enterprise, monroe
  • monroe extramile, monroe
  • monroe food mart, monroe
  • monroe food mart, monroe
  • monroe mini mart inc, monroe
  • monroe shell, monroe
  • murphy usa 7044, loganville
  • murphy usa 7734, monroe
  • north monroe food mart llc, monroe
  • quiktrip 796, loganville
  • saj monroe llc, monroe
  • shell food mart, oxford
  • shell foodmart, loganville
  • short stop, monroe
  • social circle grocery, social circle
  • the country store 0, loganville
  • the e-z stop, loganville
  • the hot spot, monroe
  • unity store, social circle

Combination Grocery/Other · 23

  • cvs pharmacy 3777, monroe
  • cvs pharmacy 7712, loganville
  • cvs pharmacy 4138, loganville
  • dollar general 18572, good hope
  • dollar general 18677, loganville
  • dollar general 4057, monroe
  • dollar general 7776, loganville
  • dollar general 9551, loganville
  • dollar general 9615, monroe
  • dollar general 11602, covington
  • dollar general 13345, monroe
  • dollar general 14640, monroe
  • dollar general 14762, loganville
  • dollar general 15372, social circle
  • dollar general 17450, loganville
  • dollar general 21627, monroe
  • dollar tree 3282, monroe
  • dollar tree 4071, loganville
  • family dollar store 3144, social circle
  • family dollar store 209, monroe
  • three peas in a pod, loganville
  • walgreens 11539, monroe
  • walgreens 9629, loganville

Super Store · 7

  • freshway market, social circle
  • john's supermarket dba greg and rene inc, monroe
  • kroger 443, loganville
  • kroger store 679, loganville
  • quality foods of monroe llc, monroe
  • walmart s/c 780, monroe
  • walmart supercenter 5252, loganville

Supermarket · 3

  • ingles markets 424, loganville
  • publix 603, loganville
  • publix 1736, monroe

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • a & s afro-caribbean market, loganville
  • supermercado suriana, loganville

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • loganville caribbean market, loganville
  • supermercado el mana, monroe

Farmers' Market · 1

  • monroe farmers market, monroe

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • corners edge butcher shoppe, monroe

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 Walton County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Walton 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 Walton County has low food access? ▼
33.2% of residents in Walton 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 Walton County? ▼
11.5% of households in Walton County receive SNAP, covering 4,106 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Walton County? ▼
The poverty rate in Walton County, GA is 11.9%, with a median household income of $84,945 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Walton County a food desert? ▼
3 of Walton County's 15 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 Walton County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.7% of households in Walton 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.