PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Wharton County, TX

Wharton 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.

13.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
13.9%
on SNAP
42K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

13.5% of Wharton County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
7.2%
households, no vehicle
13.6%
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).

Wharton County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.5% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,564 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,974 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 Wharton County compares nationally

Wharton County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.5% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,242).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wharton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Wharton 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 Wharton County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 73% Limited 18% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Wharton County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Wharton County vs. other Texas counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas

% 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 Wharton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,280
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population5,564
Low-Access Share13.5%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,974

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wharton County
IndicatorValue
Population41,794
Median Household Income$66,924
Poverty Rate13.6%near the national average
SNAP Households2,206
SNAP Participation Rate13.9%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Wharton County 13.9%

About 13.9% of Wharton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,206 households here.
  • 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Wharton County

near the national share

1 of Wharton County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 5,564 residents, roughly 13.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,974 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Wharton County

Wharton County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • 7 eleven 38581h, el campo
  • 7-eleven, inc. dba stripes 40977h, el campo
  • boling foodmart, boling
  • corner store 719, wharton
  • diamond shamrock corner store 939, wharton
  • el campo truck stop, el campo
  • evergreens food mart, wharton
  • home boy food mart, wharton
  • hungerford super market, hungerford
  • l-stop food mart, el campo
  • louise truck stop, louise
  • love's travel stop 617, hungerford
  • murphy usa 7018, wharton
  • new shop n joy, el campo
  • prompt, east bernard
  • quick n easy #1, el campo
  • quick n easy 3, el campo
  • speedy stop 85, el campo
  • timewise food store 148, east bernard
  • zip in zip out, el campo

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs pharmacy inc 6738, wharton
  • dollar general 14344, boling
  • dollar general 1743, east bernard
  • dollar general 3445, wharton
  • dollar general 11682, el campo
  • dollar general 21194, wharton
  • dollar general 30831, el campo
  • dollar tree 3464, el campo
  • dollar tree 6454, wharton
  • family dollar 2438, wharton
  • novak's meat market 1, el campo
  • vincek's smokehouse, inc., east bernard
  • walgreens 09739, el campo

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • boling supermarket, boling
  • sablatura's grocery, louise

Super Store · 2

  • walmart supercenter 344, el campo
  • walmart supercenter 5246, wharton

Supermarket · 2

  • heb 233, wharton
  • heb 584, el campo

Farmers' Market · 1

  • hidden farm fresh, lane city

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • lowes 115, east bernard

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Wharton County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Wharton County sits inside Texas (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 Wharton County has low food access? ▼
13.5% of residents in Wharton County, TX 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 Wharton County? ▼
13.9% of households in Wharton County receive SNAP, covering 2,206 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Wharton County? ▼
The poverty rate in Wharton County, TX is 13.6%, with a median household income of $66,924 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Wharton County a food desert? ▼
1 of Wharton County's 11 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 Wharton County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.2% of households in Wharton 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.