Signature · 22.5% SNAP (92nd pct in VA)
Wise County, VA
Wise County stands out on SNAP (22.5%, +10.4 pts vs U.S.) with 19.0% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 19.0%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 22.5%
- on SNAP
- 35K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Wise County, VA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 19.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 22.5% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 9.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Roanoke city ( -0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Wise County ranks #1,769 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #63 of 123 counties in VA (19.0% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,769
- national by low-access %
- #63
- in VA
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 22.5% SNAP (92nd pct in VA) (+10.4 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Wise County compares nationally
Wise County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.0% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,769).
Wise County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Wise County has 3 urban and 8 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.
Wise County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Bland 19.5
Bland 19.5%
19.5 % low-access
- Franklin 19.5
Franklin 19.5%
19.5 % low-access
- Tazewell 19.3
Tazewell 19.3%
19.3 % low-access
- Wise 19
Wise 19%
19 % low-access
- Roanoke city 18.7
Roanoke city 18.7%
18.7 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 41,452 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,891 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,538 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 35,448 |
| Median Household Income | $52,943 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,135 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 22.5%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.1%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Wise County
Wise County has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- apl market 2 2, appalachia
- black diamond 3, big stone gap
- black diamond 6, pound
- black diamond 7, big stone gap
- black diamond-tiger market and deli 31, big stone gap
- crossroad quick stop, coeburn
- fas mart 415, big stone gap
- fas mart 416, saint paul
- fas mart 421, wise
- fas mart 457, wise
- fast mart 101 101, wise
- fast mart 102, wise
- fast mart 103, pound
- masya inc., saint paul
- pound double kwik 2070, pound
- raelynns, coeburn
- roadrunner market 6094, saint paul
- roadrunner market 6097, coeburn
- scotchman 3467, big stone gap
- short stop, wise
- stateline food mart 69, pound
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- bob's supermarket, big stone gap
- cvs 3566, big stone gap
- dollartree 9797, saint paul
- dollar general 14, big stone gap
- dollar general 1659, coeburn
- dollar general 2495, pound
- dollar general 31247, big stone gap
- dollar general 4724, appalachia
- dollar general 9561, saint paul
- dollar tree 1174, big stone gap
- dollar tree 5209, wise
- family dollar 13711, appalachia
- family dollar store 2329, coeburn
- family dollar store 483, wise
- family dollar store 6894, big stone gap
Supermarket · 7
- food city 891, big stone gap
- food city 893, coeburn
- food city 897, st paul
- food city 898, wise
- houchen hometown iga 49, wise
- pound iga, pound
- price less foods 477, coeburn
Farmers' Market · 1
- clinch river farmers market, st paul
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- hicks produce market, saint paul
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- charlie ramsey meat market, wise
Small Grocery Store · 1
- hometown variety discount, appalachia
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Wise County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Wise County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Wise County (22.5%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Virginia.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (19.0% here).
- Hardin County, TN · 19.0% low-access
- Hardin County, TN · 19.0% low-access
- Sumter County, SC · 19.0% low-access
- Sumter County, SC · 19.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (22.5% here).
- Scott County, TN · 22.5% SNAP
- Scott County, TN · 22.5% SNAP
- Fentress County, TN · 22.5% SNAP
- Fentress County, TN · 22.5% 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.
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Wise County sits inside Virginia (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 Wise County, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51195. 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.