Signature · 3 LILA tracts (60% of tracts)
Wetzel County, WV
Wetzel County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (60% of the book) alongside 39.8% low-access.
- 39.8%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 19.9%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Wetzel County, WV
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 39.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +17.7 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 19.9% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 60% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Monroe County ( -0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Wetzel County sits in the upper national band (39.8%, #404 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #404
- national by low-access %
- #5
- in WV
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (60% of tracts) .
How Wetzel County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Wetzel County's 39.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 87% of them and ranked #404 most-affected nationwide.
Wetzel County's elevated USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Wetzel County has 2 urban and 3 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.
Wetzel County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in West Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Gilmer
Gilmer 81.6%
81.6 % low-access
- Pocahontas
Pocahontas 47.7%
47.7 % low-access
- Wetzel
Wetzel 39.8%
39.8 % low-access
- Monroe
Monroe 39.7%
39.7 % low-access
- Berkeley
Berkeley 38.8%
38.8 % low-access
- Raleigh
Raleigh 38.6%
38.6 % low-access
- Pleasants 0
Pleasants 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,583 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,602 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,774 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 14,078 |
| Median Household Income | $56,836 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,215 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.9%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.7%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Wetzel County
Wetzel County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 9
- 7-eleven 35946h, new martinsville
- airy's lil' cupboard, littleton
- coen 1700, new martinsville
- go mart 123, paden city
- go mart 64, new martinsville
- jms twisted sisters llc, new martinsville
- morris variety center, inc., wileyville
- speedway 9170, new martinsville
- the fort ii, smithfield
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 17511, pine grove
- dollar general 2630, new martinsville
- dollar general 31365, paden city
- dollar general 9900, burton
- dollar tree 2145, new martinsville
Supermarket · 2
- new martinsville save a lot, new martinsville
- riesbeck's 20, new martinsville
Farmers' Market · 1
- wetzel county farmers market, new martinsville
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- simons market, pine grove
Small Grocery Store · 1
- 4 sisters market, hundred
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2684, new martinsville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in West Virginia
One of 54 counties in West Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Wetzel County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →
Counties near Wetzel County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Wetzel County, both outside West Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WV (39.8% here).
- Kandiyohi County, MN · 39.8% low-access
- Kandiyohi County, MN · 39.8% low-access
- Santa Rosa County, FL · 39.8% low-access
- Santa Rosa County, FL · 39.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WV (19.9% here).
- Portsmouth city, VA · 19.9% SNAP
- Portsmouth city, VA · 19.9% SNAP
- Brunswick County, VA · 19.9% SNAP
- Brunswick County, VA · 19.9% 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.
Wetzel County inside a higher low-access state context
Wetzel County sits inside West Virginia (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 Wetzel County, WV are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 54103. 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.