Understanding where Americans can access affordable, nutritious food is critical to addressing diet-related health disparities and food insecurity. The Food Access Research Atlas from USDA's Economic Research Service maps multiple indicators of food store access at the census tract level, identifying low-income and low-access areas—commonly known as food deserts—where residents face barriers to obtaining healthy food Food Access Research Atlas | Economic Research Service.
The Atlas measures accessibility along three dimensions: distance to supermarkets or large grocery stores, individual resources like family income and vehicle availability, and neighborhood characteristics including poverty rates and public transportation access Food Access Research Atlas - Documentation | Economic Research Service. Low-income census tracts are designated based on poverty rates of 20 percent or higher or median family incomes below 80 percent of state or metropolitan area medians Updated Food Access Research Atlas Now Maps Changes in Low-Income and Low-Supermarket Access Areas in 2019 | Economic Research Service. Low-access designations use distance demarcations of ½-mile or 1-mile for urban areas and 10-mile or 20-mile for rural areas, plus vehicle availability indicators Food Access Research Atlas - About the Atlas | Economic Research Service.
Users can create customized maps showing food access based on different distance measures, compare 2019 data with 2015 baselines to track changes over time, view indicators for specific demographic subpopulations, and download tract-level data for local planning and research Food Access Research Atlas | Economic Research Service. Public health departments leverage the Atlas to identify intervention priorities, urban planners use it for retail development strategies, nonprofits target food assistance programs, and researchers analyze relationships between food access, diet quality, and health outcomes across communities nationwide.