PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maryland

Worcester County, MD

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

30.7%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
9.9%
on SNAP
54K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MD

The food-access picture

30.7% of Worcester County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.9%
households, no vehicle
9.9%
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 Worcester County's low-access share at 30.7%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 15 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,776 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,103 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 Worcester County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Worcester County's 30.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #896 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Worcester County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Worcester 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 Worcester County, MD USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (46.7%) 3 tracts limited (20.0%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 47% Limited 20% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Worcester County, MD
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Worcester County vs. other Maryland counties

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

% 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 Worcester County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)51,454
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population15,776
Low-Access Share30.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,103

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Worcester County
IndicatorValue
Population53,700
Median Household Income$81,745
Poverty Rate9.9%below the national average
SNAP Households2,385
SNAP Participation Rate9.9%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.4%
SNAP participation in Worcester County 9.9%

About 9.9% of Worcester County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,385 households here.
  • 5.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Worcester County

above the national share

5 of Worcester County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 15,776 residents, roughly 30.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,103 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (46.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Worcester County

Worcester County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • 7-eleven #24093c 24093c, ocean city
  • 7-eleven 19354c, ocean city
  • 7-eleven 23366b, ocean city
  • 7-eleven 23819c, ocean city
  • 7-eleven ine 19083a 19083a, ocean city
  • 7-eleven#41268b 41268b, ocean city
  • 7eleven 19283, berlin
  • assawoman ale shoppe, ocean city
  • duck in, pocomoke city
  • mitchells market, pocomoke city
  • newark station, newark
  • oc dollar store, ocean city
  • pocomoke goose creek 1, pocomoke city
  • royal farms 107, ocean city
  • royal farms 156, berlin
  • royal farms 178, berlin
  • royal farms 36, ocean city
  • uncle willie's, berlin
  • wawa 556, ocean city
  • wawa 566, ocean city
  • your store market, berlin

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • best price supermarket, pocomoke city
  • cvs pharmacy 1458, ocean city
  • cvs pharmacy 4371, west ocean city
  • cvs pharmacy 5909, ocean city
  • chesapeake bay dairy, berlin
  • dollar general 489, berlin
  • dollar general 0372, pocomoke city
  • dollar general 1636, snow hill
  • dollar general 30293, snow hill
  • dollar general store 16880, berlin
  • dollar tree 3572, ocean city
  • dollar tree 4411, ocean city
  • dollar tree 7531, berlin
  • dollar tree 771, pocomoke city
  • family dollar store 2342, pocomoke city
  • snow hill food rite, snow hill
  • twin oak farms, stockton
  • walgreens 11951, berlin

Supermarket · 7

  • acme 293, ocean city
  • aldi 71184, berlin
  • food lion 246, ocean city
  • food lion 2614, berlin
  • food lion 397, ocean city
  • food lion 658, berlin
  • sysco eastern maryland llc 10, pocomoke city

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • montego bay market, ocean city
  • rick's market, ocean city

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • minit market, ocean city
  • ocean city organics, ocean city

Super Store · 2

  • walmart supercenter 2514, pocomoke city
  • walmart supercenter 2560, berlin

Farmers' Market · 1

  • cross farms, berlin

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • chesapeake bay dairy, pocomoke city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Maryland

Allegany County
30.4% low-access · 21.0% SNAP
Anne Arundel County
33.7% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Baltimore city
4.5% low-access · 23.2% SNAP
Baltimore County
21.8% low-access · 11.3% SNAP
Calvert County
38.6% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Caroline County
9.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP

Compare Worcester County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →

Food access nationally, Maryland in context

Worcester County sits inside Maryland (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 Worcester County has low food access? ▼
30.7% of residents in Worcester County, MD 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 Worcester County? ▼
9.9% of households in Worcester County receive SNAP, covering 2,385 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Worcester County? ▼
The poverty rate in Worcester County, MD is 9.9%, with a median household income of $81,745 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Worcester County a food desert? ▼
5 of Worcester County's 15 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 Worcester County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.9% of households in Worcester 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.