cost_of_living_food_environment_county
County snapshot. USDA ERS Food Environment Atlas 2025 edition. Covers food access (pct_food_desert, pct_low_access_pop), retail stores (grocery, convenience, specialty, SNAP/WIC-authorized), restaurants (fast food, full service), food insecurity rate, SNAP participation, and farmers markets. Data vintages vary by variable (2018–2023).
tier aTier A: USDA administrative and survey data. Variable vintages differ within the same table (2018–2023).
overview
overview
3,144 county-level snapshot rows covering food access, retail stores, restaurants, food insecurity, and SNAP participation.
current vintage — 2025
history — No — point-in-time snapshot; variable vintages 2018–2023
provenance
source & licensing
authority
U.S. Department of Agriculture
dataset
USDA ERS Food Environment Atlas
license
Public domain (U.S. Federal Government work)
citation
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (2025). Food Environment Atlas.
schema
fields
| name | type | definition |
|---|---|---|
| convenience_stores_count | float64 · count | Total number of convenience stores (NAICS 44512) operating in the county. These stores typically carry limited fresh food options. |
| convenience_stores_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of convenience stores per 1,000 county residents, computed as (convenience_stores_count / population) × 1,000. Higher values relative to grocery density may indicate lower food quality access. |
| country_idkey | string | ISO alpha-2 country code (always 'US' for domestic tables).Part of primary key. |
| county_idkey | string | 5-character FIPS code identifying the county.Part of primary key. Joins dim.counties on county_id. |
| county_name | string | Human-readable county name corresponding to county_id. |
| farmers_markets_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of USDA-registered farmers markets per 1,000 county residents. Higher values indicate greater local and direct-to-consumer fresh food access. |
| fast_food_restaurants_count | float64 · count | Total number of fast food or limited-service restaurants (NAICS 7222) operating in the county. |
| fast_food_restaurants_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of fast food restaurants per 1,000 county residents, computed as (fast_food_restaurants_count / population) × 1,000. Higher values may indicate greater exposure to less nutritious prepared food options. |
| fast_food_to_full_service_ratio | float64 · ratio | Ratio of fast food to full-service restaurants, computed as fast_food_restaurants_count / full_service_restaurants_count. Values above 1 indicate more limited-service than full-service dining; higher ratios are associated with less healthy food environments. |
| full_service_restaurants_count | float64 · count | Total number of full-service restaurants (NAICS 7221) operating in the county. |
| full_service_restaurants_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of full-service restaurants per 1,000 county residents, computed as (full_service_restaurants_count / population) × 1,000. |
| grocery_stores_count | float64 · count | Total number of grocery stores (NAICS 4451) operating in the county. Higher values indicate greater food retail supply. |
| grocery_stores_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of grocery stores per 1,000 county residents, computed as (grocery_stores_count / population) × 1,000. Higher values indicate greater per-capita grocery retail density. |
| pct_food_desert | float64 · percent (0–100) | Share of the county population living in a USDA-defined food desert — a low-income census tract with low supermarket access. Higher values indicate greater combined poverty and food access burden. |
| pct_households_snap | float64 · percent (0–100) | Share of county households receiving SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, derived from American Community Survey estimates. Higher values indicate greater reliance on federal food assistance. |
| pct_low_access_children | float64 · percent (0–100) | Share of children (under 18) in the county living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket or large grocery store. Higher values indicate worse food access among the youth population. |
| pct_low_access_pop | float64 · percent (0–100) | Share of the county population living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket or large grocery store. Higher values indicate worse physical access to food retail. |
| pct_low_access_seniors | float64 · percent (0–100) | Share of seniors (65 and older) in the county living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket or large grocery store. Higher values indicate worse food access among the elderly population. |
| snap_authorized_stores_count | float64 · count | Total number of USDA SNAP-authorized retail food stores in the county. Higher values indicate greater access to food retail venues where SNAP benefits can be redeemed. |
| snap_authorized_stores_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of SNAP-authorized stores per 1,000 county residents, computed as (snap_authorized_stores_count / population) × 1,000. Higher values indicate greater per-capita SNAP redemption access. |
| snap_benefits_per_capita | float64 · dollars (nominal) | Total annual SNAP benefit dollars redeemed in the county divided by county population. Higher values reflect greater per-person federal food assistance expenditure in the county. |
| specialty_food_stores_count | float64 · count | Total number of specialty food stores (NAICS 4452, e.g. bakeries, meat markets, produce stands) operating in the county. |
| specialty_food_stores_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of specialty food stores per 1,000 county residents, computed as (specialty_food_stores_count / population) × 1,000. |
| state_idkey | string | 2-character FIPS code identifying the state.Part of primary key. Joins dim.states on state_id. |
| very_low_food_security_rate | float64 · percent (0–100) | Estimated share of the county population experiencing very low food security, the more severe USDA category in which eating patterns are disrupted and food intake is reduced due to lack of resources. Higher values indicate more acute food hardship. |
| wic_authorized_stores_count | float64 · count | Total number of WIC-authorized retail food stores in the county. Higher values indicate greater access to stores where WIC vouchers can be redeemed. |
| wic_authorized_stores_per_1k_pop | float64 · rate per 1,000 population | Number of WIC-authorized stores per 1,000 county residents, computed as (wic_authorized_stores_count / population) × 1,000. |
| year | int64 | Reference year of the observation. |
relationships
joins
primary key
county_id, state_id, country_id
common joins
dim.geographies on (county_id)
usage
how to use this table
method
County-level food environment indicators compiled from USDA ERS, SNAP administrative records, and USDA NASS.
do not use for
Trend analysis — variable vintages within the table mean columns are not comparable to a single reference year.
known issues
pct_food_desert assumes 1mi urban / 10mi rural and excludes vehicle access. Variable vintages are not aligned within an edition.
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last updated · Jul 7, 2026