PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Carolina

Williamsburg County, SC

Williamsburg 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.

8.0%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
21.0%
on SNAP
30K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

The food-access picture

8.0% of Williamsburg County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
12.8%
households, no vehicle
23.3%
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).

Williamsburg County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.0% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,771 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,526 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 Williamsburg County compares nationally

Williamsburg County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.0% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,646).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Williamsburg County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (81.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 82% Limited 0% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Williamsburg County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Williamsburg County vs. other South Carolina counties

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

% 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 Williamsburg County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)34,423
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,771
Low-Access Share8.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,526

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Williamsburg County
IndicatorValue
Population30,282
Median Household Income$46,213
Poverty Rate23.3%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,582
SNAP Participation Rate21.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle12.8%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.4%
SNAP participation in Williamsburg County 21.0%

About 21.0% of Williamsburg County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 21.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,582 households here.
  • 12.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Williamsburg County

near the national share

2 of Williamsburg County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,771 residents, roughly 8.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,526 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (81.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Williamsburg County

Williamsburg County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 52 store inc, greeleyville
  • bentley, greeleyville
  • fast point, kingstree
  • fat catz, lane
  • harrys xpress 1, kingstree
  • hop in #119, hemingway
  • johnny boys 76 station, kingstree
  • kelly grocery, kingstree
  • l.a. corner pocket & grill, lane
  • money saver, greeleyville
  • quick mart, kingstree
  • red dog express, hemingway
  • refuel 1025, kingstree
  • sam quick stop, kingstree
  • santee grocery, salters
  • shell station, kingstree
  • tanners general store, hemingway
  • tanners money saver, kingstree
  • tiger mart 7, hemingway

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs pharmacy 7531, hemingway
  • cvs pharmacy 7384, kingstree
  • dollar general 1054, kingstree
  • dollar general 8107, hemingway
  • dollar general 11747, kingstree
  • dollar general 12268, greeleyville
  • dollar general 17709, kingstree
  • dollar general 20300, andrews
  • dollar general 22262, hemingway
  • dollar general store 17559, salters
  • dollar tree 7028, kingstree
  • family dollar store 212, kingstree
  • family dollar 1074, hemingway
  • family dollar store 4654, kingstree

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • hemingway locker plant llc, hemingway
  • williamsburg packing company, kingstree

Supermarket · 2

  • food lion 2866, kingstree
  • food lion 389, hemingway

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • cmd's pantry, kingstree

Super Store · 1

  • kingstree iga 675, kingstree

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Carolina

Abbeville County
20.4% low-access · 14.5% SNAP
Aiken County
29.1% low-access · 10.8% SNAP
Allendale County
2.3% low-access · 28.7% SNAP
Anderson County
36.1% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bamberg County
27.1% low-access · 24.1% SNAP
Barnwell County
0.0% low-access · 24.5% SNAP

Compare Williamsburg County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, South Carolina in context

Williamsburg County sits inside South Carolina (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 Williamsburg County has low food access? ▼
8.0% of residents in Williamsburg County, SC 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 Williamsburg County? ▼
21.0% of households in Williamsburg County receive SNAP, covering 2,582 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Williamsburg County? ▼
The poverty rate in Williamsburg County, SC is 23.3%, with a median household income of $46,213 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Williamsburg County a food desert? ▼
2 of Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg County households lack a vehicle? ▼
12.8% of households in Williamsburg 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.