PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Ware County, GA

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

30.3%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
21.9%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

30.3% of Ware County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
16.0%
households, no vehicle
21.5%
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).

USDA data puts Ware County's low-access share at 30.3%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,986 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,854 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 Ware County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ware County's 30.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #912 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Ware County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Ware 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 Ware County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (22.2%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (55.6%) Adequate 22% Limited 22% Severe 56% Food-access tier distribution: Ware County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Ware 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 Ware County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)36,312
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population10,986
Low-Access Share30.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,854

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Ware County
IndicatorValue
Population35,976
Median Household Income$47,448
Poverty Rate21.5%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,835
SNAP Participation Rate21.9%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle16.0%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.7%
SNAP participation in Ware County 21.9%

About 21.9% of Ware County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 21.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,835 households here.
  • 16.0% 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 Ware County

above the national share

5 of Ware County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 55.6% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 10,986 residents, roughly 30.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,854 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (22.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Ware County

Ware County has 59 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 34 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 34

  • 1st stop foods, waycross
  • bunkys, waycross
  • corner stop, waycross
  • flash foods 27427, waycross
  • flash foods llc 274001, waycross
  • flash foods llc 274094, waycross
  • flash foods llc 2745051, waycross
  • flash foods llc 2745068, waycross
  • flash foods llc 2745085, waycross
  • flash foods llc 2745133, waycross
  • flash foods llc 27475, waycross
  • flash foods llc 27499, waycross
  • friendly express 103, waycross
  • friendly express 104, waycross
  • friendly express 107, waycross
  • friendly express 50, waycross
  • hueys country store, millwood
  • jay eklingi llc, waycross
  • johnny's food store, waycross
  • la jalisiense, waycross
  • murphy usa 6736, waycross
  • om food mart, waycross
  • rk foods, waycross
  • rouse grocery, waycross
  • solar food 25, waycross
  • solar food 26, waycross
  • solar foods, manor
  • spur discount convenience store, waycross
  • stop n save, waycross
  • stop n save 23, waycross
  • waring food mart, waycross
  • wawa store 6300, waycross
  • wawa store 6305, waycross
  • waycross bp, waycross

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • big lots 3330, waycross
  • cvs pharmacy 3348, waycross
  • dollar general 14223, waycross
  • dollar general 4854, nicholls
  • dollar general 4856, waycross
  • dollar general 7724, waycross
  • dollar general 22081, waycross
  • dollar general 2471, waycross
  • dollar general 30074, manor
  • dollar general 30317, waycross
  • dollar general 31130, waycross
  • dollar general store 17552, waycross
  • dollar tree 0492, waycross
  • dollar tree 8538, waycross
  • family dollar 9115, waycross
  • walgreen 09277, waycross

Super Store · 4

  • dollar general market 9826, waycross
  • kroger 439, waycross
  • walmart 556, waycross
  • walmart neighborhood market 4527, waycross

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • lee & davis country meats, llc, waycross
  • mickey's meat market, waycross

Farmers' Market · 1

  • waygreen local fare market, waycross

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • tienda vallarta, waycross

Supermarket · 1

  • food lion 2844, waycross

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 Ware County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Ware 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 Ware County has low food access? ▼
30.3% of residents in Ware 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 Ware County? ▼
21.9% of households in Ware County receive SNAP, covering 2,835 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Ware County? ▼
The poverty rate in Ware County, GA is 21.5%, with a median household income of $47,448 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Ware County a food desert? ▼
5 of Ware County's 9 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 Ware County households lack a vehicle? ▼
16.0% of households in Ware 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.