County food-access profile · Georgia
Washington County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Washington 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).
- 29.8%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 29.4%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
29.8% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 6.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.2%
- 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 Washington County's low-access share at 29.8%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,306 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,741 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 Washington County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Washington County's 29.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #951 most-affected nationwide.
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Washington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Washington County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Washington
Washington County, GA
29.8 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,187 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,306 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.8%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,741 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,849 |
| Median Household Income | $46,023 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,157 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 29.4%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.1% |
About 29.4% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 29.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 29.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,157 households here.
- 6.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Washington County
above the national share
2 of Washington County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 6,306 residents, roughly 29.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,741 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Washington County
Washington County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 14
- busy food mart, sandersville
- davisboro food mart, davisboro
- jet food store 20, harrison
- jet food store 22, sandersville
- jet food store 34, sandersville
- jet food store 58, sandersville
- jet foods 70, sandersville
- m&k food mart, sandersville
- murphy usa 7120, sandersville
- nouria 510 south harris street 837, sandersville
- quick stop, sandersville
- s & t food mart, sandersville
- sunny food mart, sandersville
- warthen express, warthen
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- cvs pharmacy 4593, sandersville
- dollar general 18730, harrison
- dollar general 2676, sandersville
- dollar general 14846, tennille
- dollar general 16372, davisboro
- dollar general store 16588, sandersville
- dollar tree 3508, sandersville
- family dollar store 1, sandersville
- rose's express 673, sandersville
- waco seafood, sandersville
Super Store · 2
- harveys supermarket 1662, sandersville
- walmart store 1143, sandersville
Supermarket · 1
- sandersville iga 656, sandersville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Washington County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Washington County sits inside Georgia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Washington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Washington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Washington County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.