More than 53 million or 17% of Americans were considered low-income and had little to no access to supermarkets or similar large food stores, according to 2019 data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA defines food deserts as an area where low-income people do not have easy access to large food retailers. These food deserts particularly impact urban areas. Ninety-six percent of people in a food desert, 51.7 million, lived in urban areas in 2019.
The USDA considers a tract low-access if at least 500 people or a third of the population lives more than a half-mile away from the nearest food retailer in urban tracts or more than 10 miles away in rural tracts. Types of food retailers considered in the count exclude convenience stores and smaller food sellers.
