PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Wood County, TX

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

21.8%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
11.1%
on SNAP
47K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

21.8% of Wood County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
5.1%
households, no vehicle
12.5%
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 Wood County's low-access share at 21.8%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,134 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,714 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 Wood County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Wood County's 21.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,544 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wood County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Wood 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 Wood County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (50.0%) 2 tracts limited (20.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (30.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 20% Severe 30% Food-access tier distribution: Wood County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Wood County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Wood County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,964
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population9,134
Low-Access Share21.8%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,714

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wood County
IndicatorValue
Population46,961
Median Household Income$60,300
Poverty Rate12.5%below the national average
SNAP Households2,078
SNAP Participation Rate11.1%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Wood County 11.1%

About 11.1% of Wood County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,078 households here.
  • 5.1% 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 Wood County

above the national share

3 of Wood County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 9,134 residents, roughly 21.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,714 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Wood County

Wood County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • cvs 10340, mineola
  • cvs pharmacy 10343, winnsboro
  • dollar general 0687, winnsboro
  • dollar general 2663, mineola
  • dollar general 7069, hawkins
  • dollar general 7829, quitman
  • dollartree 10031, winnsboro
  • dollar general 11696, yantis
  • dollar general 12379, alba
  • dollar general 22164, winnsboro
  • dollar general 24054, alba
  • dollar general 31177, quitman
  • dollar general store 17251, hawkins
  • dollar tree 7110, mineola
  • family dollar 1138, quitman
  • family dollar 13245, yantis
  • family dollar 4441, winnsboro
  • family dollar store 11126, hawkins

Convenience Store · 16

  • 1st stop, mineola
  • 24 seven mart # tx 8, mineola
  • big apple store, winnsboro
  • c & c country store, winnsboro
  • cross country foods, mineola
  • e-z mart 4329, mineola
  • golden super eagle inc, quitman
  • hawks mart, hawkins
  • jjs fast stop 231, hawkins
  • lama 106, quitman
  • murphy usa 7904, mineola
  • pay n save, alba
  • quick stop, mineola
  • race runner 5, winnsboro
  • race runner 14, winnsboro
  • yantis food mart, yantis

Supermarket · 4

  • brookshire 60, quitman
  • brookshire food store 15, hawkins
  • brookshire food store 31, mineola
  • brookshire food store 6, winnsboro

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • j&j meat market, llc, yantis

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 251, mineola

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Wood County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Wood County sits inside Texas (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 Wood County has low food access? ▼
21.8% of residents in Wood County, TX 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 Wood County? ▼
11.1% of households in Wood County receive SNAP, covering 2,078 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Wood County? ▼
The poverty rate in Wood County, TX is 12.5%, with a median household income of $60,300 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Wood County a food desert? ▼
3 of Wood County's 10 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 Wood County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.1% of households in Wood 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.