PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Wayne County, GA

Wayne 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.

17.9%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
20.2%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

17.9% of Wayne County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
10.2%
households, no vehicle
21.3%
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).

Wayne County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.9% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,392 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,517 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 Wayne County compares nationally

Wayne County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.9% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,873).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wayne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Wayne 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 Wayne County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (33.3%) 2 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 33% Limited 33% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Wayne County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Wayne 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 Wayne County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)30,099
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population5,392
Low-Access Share17.9%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,517

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wayne County
IndicatorValue
Population30,949
Median Household Income$53,427
Poverty Rate21.3%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,235
SNAP Participation Rate20.2%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.2%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.3%
SNAP participation in Wayne County 20.2%

About 20.2% of Wayne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,235 households here.
  • 10.2% 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 Wayne County

near the national share

2 of Wayne County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 5,392 residents, roughly 17.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,517 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Wayne County

Wayne County has 43 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • country corner, jesup
  • crossroad country store, odum
  • friendly express 79, jesup
  • friendly express 87, screven
  • garden of eat'n, jesup
  • hurricane's convenience store, jesup
  • jesup discount corner, jesup
  • lotto express, jesup
  • lucky's convenience, jesup
  • mann 2010 llc, jesup
  • minit stop, jesup
  • murphy usa 5619, jesup
  • nouria 291 north 1st street 859, jesup
  • odum general store, odum
  • om foods, jesup
  • peaches, jesup
  • parker's 63, jesup
  • q mart, jesup
  • radhmin inc, jesup
  • red hill, jesup
  • shiv discount, jesup
  • shivam 2020 llc, jesup
  • wawa store 6307, jesup

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs pharmacy 5684, jesup
  • dollar general 301, jesup
  • dollar general 3859, jesup
  • dollar general 7502, odum
  • dollar general 13102, jesup
  • dollar general 23277, jesup
  • dollar general 25135, jesup
  • dollar general 30458, screven
  • dollar general 31296, jesup
  • dollar tree 1481, jesup
  • family dollar store 668, jesup
  • ricks meats, jesup
  • walgreens 11792, jesup

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • c & d seafood inc. dba/ shucks seafood market 1, jesup
  • oscar's seafood market, jesup

Super Store · 2

  • piggly wiggly 272, jesup
  • walmart supercenter 2630, jesup

Farmers' Market · 1

  • wayne county farmers market, jesup

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • la morenita tienda mexicana, jesup

Supermarket · 1

  • food lion 2846, jesup

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 Wayne County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Wayne 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 Wayne County has low food access? ▼
17.9% of residents in Wayne 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 Wayne County? ▼
20.2% of households in Wayne County receive SNAP, covering 2,235 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Wayne County? ▼
The poverty rate in Wayne County, GA is 21.3%, with a median household income of $53,427 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Wayne County a food desert? ▼
2 of Wayne County's 6 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 Wayne County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.2% of households in Wayne 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.