Signature · 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
White County, TN
White County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 29.1% low-access.
- 29.1%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.0%
- on SNAP
- 28K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County White County, TN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 29.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +7.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Greene County ( -0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
White County sits in the upper national band (29.1%, #998 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #998
- national by low-access %
- #17
- in TN
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How White County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, White County's 29.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 68% of them and ranked #999 most-affected nationwide.
White County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, White County has 2 urban and 4 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.
White County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Tennessee, not a full county-board reprint
- Montgomery
Montgomery 47%
47 % low-access
- Sullivan
Sullivan 30.7%
30.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount 30.1%
30.1 % low-access
- White
White 29.1%
29.1 % low-access
- Greene
Greene 28.6%
28.6 % low-access
- Dyer
Dyer 27.5%
27.5 % low-access
- Grainger 0
Grainger 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 25,841 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,523 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,251 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,160 |
| Median Household Income | $52,188 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,463 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in White County
White County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 11 locations (42% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 205, sparta
- dollar general 3617, sparta
- dollar general 12315, sparta
- dollar general 12563, sparta
- dollar general 12850, cookeville
- dollar general 13834, doyle
- dollar general 23657, sparta
- dollar general 24348, sparta
- dollar general 25831, sparta
- dollar tree 4648, sparta
- walgreens 10815, sparta
Convenience Store · 11
- airport marathon 11, cookeville
- circle k 4703904, sparta
- dixie food mart, sparta
- ez food mart 1, sparta
- hwy 136 market, sparta
- hwy 70 market, sparta
- keiths market, doyle
- murphy usa 7836, sparta
- south young market 1, sparta
- sparta discount tobacco, sparta
- wilmar market, sparta
Supermarket · 2
- floyd's cb foods, sparta
- houchens save-a-lot 191, sparta
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- hillis custom processing, llc, sparta
Super Store · 1
- walmart store 587, sparta
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 White County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Counties near White County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for White County, both outside Tennessee so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside TN (29.1% here).
- Aiken County, SC · 29.1% low-access
- Aiken County, SC · 29.1% low-access
- Marshall County, OK · 29.1% low-access
- Marshall County, OK · 29.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside TN (13.0% here).
- Andrews County, TX · 13.0% SNAP
- Andrews County, TX · 13.0% SNAP
- Bell County, TX · 13.0% SNAP
- Bell County, TX · 13.0% 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.
White County inside a higher low-access state context
White 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 White County, TN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 47185. 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.