Signature · 6.9% low-access (14th pct)
Wilkes County, NC
Wilkes County lands in the lower national band on low-access (6.9%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 6.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 15.4%
- on SNAP
- 66K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Wilkes County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ADEQUATE 6.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -15.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 14% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Sampson County (+ 0.3 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Wilkes County lands in the lower national band (6.9%, #2,710 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,710
- national by low-access %
- #78
- in NC
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 6.9% low-access (14th pct) (-15.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Wilkes County compares nationally
Food access in Wilkes County compares favorably nationally: its 6.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,710).
Wilkes County's lower-band USDA tier split
14 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Wilkes County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (12 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Wilkes County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Sampson 7.2
Sampson 7.2%
7.2 % low-access
- Wilkes 6.9
Wilkes 6.9%
6.9 % low-access
- Mitchell 6.5
Mitchell 6.5%
6.5 % low-access
- Vance 6.1
Vance 6.1%
6.1 % low-access
- Jackson 6
Jackson 6%
6 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 69,340 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,801 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,440 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 65,935 |
| Median Household Income | $51,721 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,180 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
Thick SNAP store book in Wilkes County
Wilkes County has 85 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 47 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
13 towns share the 85 authorized stores; North Wilkesboro holds 41% of them. 9 of the 13 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Ronda, Boomer, Elkin, Hays, Moravian Falls, Roaring River and 3 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| North Wilkesboro | 35 | 6 |
| Wilkesboro | 26 | 4 |
| Ronda | 4 | none |
| Millers Creek | 3 | 1 |
| N Wilkesboro | 3 | 1 |
| Boomer | 2 | none |
| Elkin | 2 | none |
| Hays | 2 | none |
| Moravian Falls | 2 | none |
| Roaring River | 2 | none |
Top 10 of 13 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 47
- ashley farms, elkin
- ashley farms 3 food mart, hays
- buddy's grocery & service, n wilkesboro
- clingman pit stop, inc, ronda
- college park, wilkesboro
- country corner market, inc. 001, millers creek
- cubbard express 17, wilkesboro
- flowers bakery outlet 489, wilkesboro
- foster's grocery & hardware, ronda
- holly valley, moravian falls
- jb mart, north wilkesboro
- k & b trade inc, ferguson
- moodys grocery, state road
- market basket 12, north wilkesboro
- market basket 13, wilkesboro
- moravian mart, moravian falls
- murphy express 8558, wilkesboro
- nonna & pop's mercantile, llc, north wilkesboro
- om express, north wilkesboro
- porter's grocery, roaring river
- r wilkes store inc, north wilkesboro
- run in 102, wilkesboro
- run in 106, north wilkesboro
- run in 107, north wilkesboro
- run in 142, wilkesboro
- run in 801, wilkesboro
- run in 802, north wilkesboro
- run in 804, north wilkesboro
- run in 805, north wilkesboro
- run in 809, wilkesboro
- run in 811, north wilkesboro
- run in 836, boomer
- sar store, north wilkesboro
- sheetz 794, wilkesboro
- speedway 7902, north wilkesboro
- speedway 7904, north wilkesboro
- speedway 7912, wilkesboro
- state road food mart, state road
- triplett's gro, elkin
- the junction 1, roaring river
- united enterprise of wilkesboro, llc, wilkesboro
- village market #1, n wilkesboro
- village market, north wilkesboro
- w d food mart, north wilkesboro
- westpark citgo, north wilkesboro
- westwood village food mart, wilkesboro
- wykes food mart, wilkesboro
Combination Grocery/Other · 23
- big lots 3187, wilkesboro
- cvs pharmacy 3525, north wilkesboro
- cvs pharmacy 7317, north wilkesboro
- dollar general 10900, north wilkesboro
- dollar general 14256, hays
- dollar general 2394, north wilkesboro
- dollar general 6661, wilkesboro
- dollar general 8131, millers creek
- dollar general 8745, north wilkesboro
- dollartree 9617, north wilkesboro
- dollar general 10463, wilkesboro
- dollar general 13561, north wilkesboro
- dollar general 16761, ronda
- dollar general 17265, thurmond
- dollar general 20382, boomer
- dollar general 20630, wilkesboro
- dollar general 23610, north wilkesboro
- dollar general 24690, wilkesboro
- dollar general 30804, ronda
- dollar general 31280, north wilkesboro
- dollar tree 4140, wilkesboro
- dollar tree 7191, north wilkesboro
- walgreen 07978, north wilkesboro
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 66013, wilkesboro
- brushy mountain iga 847, north wilkesboro
- food lion 1048, north wilkesboro
- food lion 1677, millers creek
- food lion 2582, wilkesboro
- lowes foods 250, wilkesboro
- rock creek iga 846, north wilkesboro
- the marketplace at north wilksboro 850, north wilkesboro
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- applebrandyprimecuts, north wilkesboro
- david's market, n wilkesboro
- olea market, north wilkesboro
Delivery Route · 1
- wilkes fresh mobile market, north wilkesboro
Farmers' Market · 1
- moffitt-toolan family farm store, wilkesboro
Small Grocery Store · 1
- country square fresh produce, wilkesboro
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 1290, wilkesboro
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Wilkes County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Wilkes County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Wilkes County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (6.9% here).
- Schoharie County, NY · 6.9% low-access
- Silver Bow County, MT · 6.9% low-access
- Grundy County, TN · 6.9% low-access
- Ohio County, KY · 6.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (15.4% here).
- Orleans County, NY · 15.4% SNAP
- Montgomery County, NY · 15.4% SNAP
- Fulton County, NY · 15.4% SNAP
- Broome County, NY · 15.4% 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.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). Wilkes County, at 6.9%, runs 16.0 pts below the North Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Wilkes County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37193. 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.