Signature · 8.6% SNAP (16th pct in TN)
Washington County, TN
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).
- 26.2%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 8.6%
- on SNAP
- 136K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Washington County, TN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 26.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +4.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 22% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Davidson County (+ 0.4 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Washington County ranks #1,203 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #22 of 93 counties in TN (26.2% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #1,203
- national by low-access %
- #22
- in TN
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- 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: 8.6% SNAP (16th pct in TN) (-3.5 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Washington County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Washington County's 26.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,203 most-affected nationwide.
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
23 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Washington County has 16 urban and 7 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Washington County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Tennessee, not a full county-board reprint
- Montgomery
Montgomery 47%
47 % low-access
- Cumberland
Cumberland 26.9%
26.9 % low-access
- Davidson
Davidson 26.6%
26.6 % low-access
- Washington
Washington 26.2%
26.2 % low-access
- Maury
Maury 25.6%
25.6 % low-access
- Haywood
Haywood 25.4%
25.4 % low-access
- Grainger 0
Grainger 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 23 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 122,979 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 32,192 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,478 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 136,261 |
| Median Household Income | $62,809 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,886 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.5% |
Thick SNAP store book in Washington County
Washington County has 126 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 56 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 56
- all mart no, johnson city
- bays mart 21, johnson city
- by-low market #1 1, johnson city
- crockett corner, jonesborough
- crossroad county store, jonesborough
- d mart, johnson city
- discount grocery & tobacco, johnson city
- flowers bakery outlet 518, johnson city
- gracewell mart, johnson city
- ian's market # 145, johnson city
- johnnys market & deli #3, limestone
- kenjo 44, johnson city
- kenjo market 51, johnson city
- lakeview convenience store, johnson city
- lee's food mart 28, jonesborough
- lucky market, johnson city
- mr zip 516, johnson city
- munchies country store 1, fall branch
- murphy usa 5822, johnson city
- murphy usa 7425, johnson city
- quick stop market, johnson city
- quick stop market 49, jonesborough
- quickstop market, johnson city
- r j market n/a, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6047, johnson city
- roadrunner 6014, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6003, jonesborough
- roadrunner market 6005, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6007, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6011, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6012, chuckey
- roadrunner market 6015, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6018, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6023, jonesborough
- roadrunner market 6024, jonesborough
- roadrunner market 6031, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6032, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6033, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6037, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6039, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6042, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6043, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6055, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6061, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6069, johnson city
- roadrunner market 6070, johnson city
- scotchman 3407, johnson city
- scotchman 3411, johnson city
- scotchman 3422, johnson city
- scotchman 3427, johnson city
- scotchman 3465, johnson city
- sd speedmart, chuckey
- state of franklin exxon, johnson city
- the one market, jonesborough
- verahi inc 4, johnson city
- weigels 1099, jonesborough
Combination Grocery/Other · 38
- alatua african market, johnson city
- cvs pharmacy 5636, johnson city
- cvs pharmacy 7235, johnson city
- dollar general 106, johnson city
- dollar general 14532, johnson city
- dollar general 23762, johnson city
- dollar general 2914, johnson city
- dollar general 3394, jonesborough
- dollartree 10091, johnson city
- dollartree 9876, johnson city
- dollar general 10299, fall branch
- dollar general 11767, chuckey
- dollar general 13352, jonesborough
- dollar general 15176, johnson city
- dollar general 16315, telford
- dollar general 20852, gray
- dollar general 21201, jonesborough
- dollar general 21724, johnson city
- dollar general 23420, fall branch
- dollar general 23695, jonesborough
- dollar general 23855, johnson city
- dollar general 30724, johnson city
- dollar general 30813, limestone
- dollar general 31208, johnson city
- dollar tree 2843, johnson city
- dollar tree 3539, johnson city
- dollar tree 6392, johnson city
- dollar tree 7373, jonesborough
- family dollar 372, johnson city
- family dollar 6229, johnson city
- walgreen 07285, johnson city
- walgreens 6256, johnson city
- walgreens 09459, piney flats
- walgreens 10918, johnson city
- walgreens 11113, gray
- walgreens 12373, johnson city
- walgreens 13660, jonesborough
- walgreens 13891, johnson city
Supermarket · 15
- aldi 66156, johnson city
- aldi sby 66, johnson city
- earth fare 410, johnson city
- food city 601, johnson city
- food city 640, jonesborough
- food city 641, johnson city
- food city 670, gray
- food lion 0218, johnson city
- food city 629, johnson city
- grocery outlet 39, johnson city
- ingles markets 372, johnson city
- ingles markets 398, jonesborough
- price less foods 486, johnson city
- publix tennessee, llc 1633, johnson city
- the fresh market 132, johnson city
Super Store · 6
- kroger #00261 r-261, johnson city
- kroger limited partnership 1 367, johnson city
- sam's club 8222, johnson city
- target store 756, johnson city
- walmart 1080, johnson city
- walmart supercenter 3829, johnson city
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- h&h market 2, johnson city
- natural foods market, inc, johnson city
- spice world, johnson city
- the stockpot, inc., johnson city
Farmers' Market · 3
- boone street market 1, jonesborough
- johnson city farmers market, johnson city
- jonesborough farmers market, jonesborough
Small Grocery Store · 3
- el venado tienda guatemalteca, johnson city
- the kimchi market, johnson city
- tortilleria familar el arriero, johnson city
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- hamilton meats inc, johnson city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Tennessee
One of 94 counties in Tennessee, 6 are shown here.
Compare Washington County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Nationwide peers for Washington County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Washington County (8.6%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Tennessee.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside TN (26.2% here).
- Isle of Wight County, VA · 26.2% low-access
- Isle of Wight County, VA · 26.2% low-access
- Jackson County, MO · 26.2% low-access
- Jackson County, MO · 26.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside TN (8.6% here).
- Aransas County, TX · 8.6% SNAP
- Aransas County, TX · 8.6% SNAP
- Brazos County, TX · 8.6% SNAP
- Brazos County, TX · 8.6% 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.
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
Washington County sits inside Tennessee (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Washington County, TN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 47179. 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.