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Charleston County, South Carolina β Food Access Score
Is Charleston County, South Carolina a food desert?
In 2019, 20.8% of Charleston County, South Carolina residents live beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, with 6.0% both low-income and low-access, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (US public domain). The Gera Food Access Score for Charleston County is 82.3/100 (Excellent), ranking 1464 of 3140 US counties.
GFAS component breakdown
20.8%
Low-access population
Weight: 60% Β· beyond 1mi/10mi
National: 22.2%
6.0%
Low-income + low-access
Weight: 40% Β· compound hardship
13
LILA census tracts
of 85 total tracts
Charleston County food access data (2019)
| Metric | Charleston County (2019) | National comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) | 82.3/100 | National mean: 78.6/100 |
| Low-access population % | 20.8% | National: 22.2% |
| Low-income + low-access % | 6.0% | β |
| Low-income, low-access (LILA) tracts | 13 | β |
| Census tracts in county | 85 | β |
| Total population (2010 Census) | 350,209 | β |
| National rank (GFAS) | 1464 of 3140 | β |
Compare Charleston County with other US counties
Filter all 3140 US counties by GFAS score or state to find counties with similar or better food access conditions.
Showing 20 of 3140 counties
| County | State | GFAS | Low-access % | Low-inc/access % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | Alabama | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Kusilvak Census Area | Alaska | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Gilpin County | Colorado | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Dade County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Evans County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Franklin County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Hart County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Marion County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pike County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Towns County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| White County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Harrison County | Indiana | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Ohio County | Indiana | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Union County | Indiana | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Grundy County | Iowa | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Ballard County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Carroll County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Elliott County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Gallatin County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Garrard County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Charleston County, South Carolina a food desert?
- Using the USDA definition, Charleston County has 13 LILA (Low-Income, Low-Access) census tracts β tracts where residents are both low-income AND beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Overall, 20.8% of the county population lives beyond those distances. Gera Food Access Score: 82.3/100 (Excellent).
- What percentage of Charleston County residents are beyond a supermarket?
- In 2019, 20.8% of Charleston County's population of 350,209 lives beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, based on USDA Food Access Research Atlas census tract data. The national average is 22.2%.
- What is the Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) for Charleston County?
- Charleston County's GFAS is 82.3/100 (Excellent), ranking 1464 of 3140 US counties (rank 1 = best food access). The score combines low-access population share (60% weight) and low-income/low-access share (40% weight), each derived from USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 data, then normalised and inverted. Full methodology at https://geramarket.com/methodology/gera-food-access-score.
- How does Charleston County compare to other counties in South Carolina?
- Other counties in South Carolina by GFAS: Barnwell County (100/100), Marion County (99.8/100), Calhoun County (99.2/100), Allendale County (97.7/100), Saluda County (97.5/100), Dillon County (95.9/100). Charleston County ranks 1464 of 3140 nationally.
- What is the USDA Food Access Research Atlas?
- The USDA Food Access Research Atlas is published by the USDA Economic Research Service. It measures access to supermarkets at the census tract level across 72,531 tracts covering all US counties. The atlas identifies areas where access to healthy, affordable food is limited by distance β particularly for low-income residents without vehicles. The data is a US Government Work (public domain) and is freely available at https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/download-the-data/.
Contains public sector information published by USDA Economic Research Service and licensed under the US Government Work (Public Domain). Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) (2019, published April 2021).