County food-access profile · Georgia
Whitfield County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Whitfield 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).
- 29.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 11.2%
- on SNAP
- 104K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
29.9% of Whitfield County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 6.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.8%
- 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).
USDA data puts Whitfield County's low-access share at 29.9%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 30,712 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,742 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 Whitfield County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Whitfield County's 29.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #941 most-affected nationwide.
Whitfield County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 census tracts in Whitfield County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Whitfield County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Whitfield
Whitfield County, GA
29.9 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 102,599 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 30,712 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,742 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 103,598 |
| Median Household Income | $67,070 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,110 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 11.2% of Whitfield County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 29.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,110 households here.
- 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Whitfield County
above the national share
3 of Whitfield County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 30,712 residents, roughly 29.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,742 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Whitfield County
Whitfield County has 134 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 70 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 70
- access food mart, dalton
- andy mart, dalton
- antioch convenience, dalton
- bills grocery, dalton
- bizee food mart, tunnel hill
- bpro xpress, dalton
- carniceria y panaderia inc #2, dalton
- circle k 2723502, dalton
- circle k 2723512, dalton
- circle k 2723523, dalton
- circle k 2723525, dalton
- circle k 2723581, dalton
- circle k 2723590, dalton
- circle k 2723604, dalton
- circle k 2723612, cohutta
- circle k 2723656, dalton
- circle k store 2709344, tunnel hill
- circle k store 2709345, dalton
- corner express, dalton
- corner express 2, dalton
- dalton food mart, dalton
- dalton shell, dalton
- diwan capital, dalton
- dixie corner, dalton
- dixie corner food mart 2, dalton
- e z stop, dalton
- five point, dalton
- food mart, dalton
- gas express llc 270, cohutta
- harry's, dalton
- harpers general store, rocky face
- kangaroo express, rocky face
- kankus express 105, rocky face
- kwik serv 10, dalton
- kwik serv 4, dalton
- kwik serve 9, cohutta
- lc grocery, dalton
- la esquinita, dalton
- mapco express, inc. 3507, dalton
- mapco express, inc. 3616, dalton
- mapco express, inc. 3620, dalton
- mapco express, inc. 3622, dalton
- mapco express, inc. 3627, dalton
- mapco express, inc. 3641, rocky face
- mahir 1 inc, dalton
- mega tienda llc 1, dalton
- mini mart #1, dalton
- murphy usa 7812, dalton
- one stop shop, cohutta
- one stop mart, dalton
- pilot travel center 319, dalton
- pilot travel center 421, dalton
- quality convenience mart, dalton
- quick stop, dalton
- quick stop # 2, cohutta
- quickshop 1, dalton
- quickstop, dalton
- quickway, dalton
- raap 2 inc, dalton
- race trac 213, dalton
- race trac 289, dalton
- resaca food mart, resaca
- riaan md corporation, tunnel hill
- road runners, dalton
- ruben diaz fresh produce, dalton
- st clair's, dalton
- tibbs road convenience store, dalton
- tienda tikal #2 llc 2, dalton
- tienda tikal iii, dalton
- walnut express, dalton
Combination Grocery/Other · 33
- cvs pharmacy 5608, dalton
- cvs pharmacy 3767, dalton
- carniceria 18, dalton
- dollar general 0046, dalton
- dollar general 0872, dalton
- dollar general 10651, dalton
- dollar general 15278, dalton
- dollar general 18688, dalton
- dollar general 2541, dalton
- dollar general 4704, cohutta
- dollar general 8458, dalton
- dollar general 8632, tunnel hill
- dollartree 8773, dalton
- dollar general 10377, rocky face
- dollar general 11339, dalton
- dollar general 11457, dalton
- dollar general 11903, cohutta
- dollar general 14848, dalton
- dollar general 22804, dalton
- dollar general 25143, tunnel hill
- dollar general 30460, rocky face
- dollar general store 16351, dalton
- dollar tree 420, dalton
- dollar tree 4675, dalton
- dollar tree 7323, dalton
- family dollar store 36, dalton
- family dollar 1503, dalton
- family dollar 3574, dalton
- family dollar 3983, rocky face
- la latina, dalton
- tienda el super quetzal, dalton
- walgreen 05954, dalton
- walgreens 17232, dalton
Medium Grocery Store · 10
- abaarrotes emanuel 1, dalton
- carniceria loa 3, dalton
- carniceria nacho, dalton
- hometown grocery, tunnel hill
- la coronita, dalton
- la hidalguense, dalton
- la providencia na, dalton
- los carlos 1, dalton
- super d market panaderia & carniceria, dalton
- underwood market, dalton
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 70093, dalton
- carniceria loa 2, dalton
- carnicerias loa #1, dalton
- food lion 1603, dalton
- food lion 1695, rocky face
- food city 211, dalton
- grocery outlet 9, dalton
- houchens save-a-lot 505, dalton
- la esperanza bakery 1, dalton
Super Store · 6
- kroger 265, dalton
- kroger 458, dalton
- supermercado talpa 17 llc 14, dalton
- walmart 669, dalton
- walmart neighborhood market 4528, dalton
- walmart s/c 5173, dalton
Small Grocery Store · 5
- abarrotes emanuel 2, dalton
- carniceria y panderia el milagro, dalton
- la coronita #2, dalton
- miselania polvos, dalton
- tienda ebenezer 1, dalton
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the butcher's market llc, dalton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Whitfield County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Whitfield County sits inside Georgia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Whitfield County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Whitfield County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Whitfield County? ▼
Is Whitfield County a food desert? ▼
What share of Whitfield County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.