PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Winchester city, VA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Winchester city 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).

25.4%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
11.7%
on SNAP
28K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

25.4% of Winchester city residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
9.4%
households, no vehicle
21.5%
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 Winchester city's low-access share at 25.4%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,659 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Winchester city compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Winchester city's 25.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 60% of them and ranked #1,264 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Winchester city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 census tracts in Winchester city, 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 Winchester city, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (40.0%) 3 tracts limited (60.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 60% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Winchester city, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Winchester city vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Winchester city
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)26,203
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population6,659
Low-Access Share25.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,144

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Winchester city
IndicatorValue
Population27,913
Median Household Income$63,974
Poverty Rate21.5%well above the national average
SNAP Households1,340
SNAP Participation Rate11.7%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.4%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Winchester city 11.7%

About 11.7% of Winchester city households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,340 households here.
  • 9.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $63,974 with a 21.5% poverty rate.

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 Winchester city

above the national share

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

An estimated 6,659 residents, roughly 25.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,144 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Winchester city

Winchester city has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • 7-eleven 10640b, winchester
  • 7-eleven 35271a, winchester
  • bo's xpress market 101, winchester
  • bo's xpress markets 103, winchester
  • centro americana latin market, winchester
  • el paraiso winchester deli & grocery inc., winchester
  • handy mart 6, winchester
  • handymart 15, winchester
  • murphy usa 7634, winchester
  • northside mart, winchester
  • royal farms 413, winchester
  • sheetz 203, winchester
  • shu one, inc., winchester
  • stop and shop, winchester
  • tienda hispana marquez, winchester
  • wawa store 6623, winchester
  • win mart llc, winchester

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • cvs 4194, winchester
  • cvs pharmacy 4292, winchester
  • cvs pharmacy 7843, winchester
  • dollartree 8781, winchester
  • dollar general 9566, winchester
  • dollar tree 304, winchester
  • family dollar 12606, winchester
  • family dollar 3869, winchester
  • walgreens 11573, winchester
  • walgreens 18268, winchester

Super Store · 5

  • food maxx 1, winchester
  • megamart, winchester
  • sharp shopper grocery outlet, winchester
  • target store 1234, winchester
  • walmart supercenter 1406, winchester

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • mercado latino don toro, winchester
  • namaste winchester market, winchester
  • santa fe supermarket, winchester

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la buena fe supermarket 1, winchester
  • mercadito latino llc, winchester

Supermarket · 1

  • martins food market 6078, winchester

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Winchester city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Winchester city sits inside Virginia (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 Winchester city has low food access? ▼
25.4% of residents in Winchester city, VA 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 Winchester city? ▼
11.7% of households in Winchester city receive SNAP, covering 1,340 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Winchester city? ▼
The poverty rate in Winchester city, VA is 21.5%, with a median household income of $63,974 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Winchester city a food desert? ▼
0 of Winchester city's 5 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Winchester city households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.4% of households in Winchester city 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.