Food Desert

USDA defines a “food desert” as urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. The HCI Food Desert indicator measures the proportion of urban neighborhoods more than a mile away from affordable, healthy foods (rural neighborhoods are measured at a 10-miles mark). Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, these communities may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options. Food deserts tend to exist in areas that are lower-income, inner-city, or rural, where there are few supermarkets, and access to healthy food is a challenge. Lack of access to healthy foods is a risk factor for health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. There is an interconnected relationship between food deserts and limited access to supermarkets in lower-income, minority communities, and one in five food stamps recipients lives in a neighborhood without a grocery store. Access to supermarkets is among the strongest behavioral correlates related to health and the built environment. Found under the Neighborhood Characteristics domain, the Food Desert indicator is also connected to the Economic Health, Educational Opportunities, Health Systems and Public Safety, and Social Cohesion domains. Data is available at the Census tract level from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and is provided in a dichotomous fashion, i.e., 0=no food desert, 1=food desert. This indicator is an “inverse” measure as the higher the number, the higher the proportion of the neighborhood considered a food desert, and the higher the negative impact on community health.

Neighborhoodsort ascending Indicator Value Rank
Zion City 100.0% 56
Wylam 100.0% 56
Woodlawn 85.7% 52
Woodland Park 66.7% 24
West Goldwire 66.7% 24
West End Manor 100.0% 56
West Brownville 100.0% 56
Wahouma 57.1% 20
Tuxedo 100.0% 56
Thomas 100.0% 56
Tarpley City 80.0% 44
Sun Valley 83.3% 49
Spring Lake 41.7% 9
Southside 55.6% 19
South Woodlawn 83.3% 49
South Titusville 37.5% 6
South Pratt 100.0% 56
South East Lake 76.9% 42
Smithfield Estates 71.4% 34
Smithfield 50.0% 13
Sherman Heights 69.2% 32
Sandusky 100.0% 56
Roosevelt 100.0% 56
Roebuck Springs 50.0% 13
Roebuck 80.0% 44
Rising - West Princeton 100.0% 56
Riley 83.3% 49
Redmont Park 10.5% 1
Powderly 88.9% 55
Pine Knoll Vista 66.7% 24
Penfield Park 100.0% 56
Oxmoor 38.5% 7
Overton 17.7% 2
Oakwood Place 100.0% 56
Oak Ridge Park 60.0% 22
Oak Ridge 100.0% 56
Norwood 100.0% 56
North Titusville 40.0% 8
North Pratt 85.7% 52
North East Lake 81.8% 47
North Birmingham 100.0% 56
North Avondale 100.0% 56
Mason City 71.4% 34
Maple Grove 75.0% 38
Liberty Highlands 50.0% 13
Kingston 100.0% 56
Killough Springs 71.4% 34
Jones Valley 100.0% 56
Inglenook 100.0% 56
Industrial Center 100.0% 56
Huffman 54.6% 18
Hooper City 42.9% 11
Hillman Park 100.0% 56
Hillman 100.0% 56
Highland Park 27.3% 4
Harriman Park 100.0% 56
Green Acres 80.0% 44
Graymont 77.8% 43
Grasselli Heights 100.0% 56
Glen Iris 66.7% 24
Germania Park 100.0% 56
Gate City 75.0% 38
Garden Highlands 66.7% 24
Fountain Heights 70.0% 33
Forest Park 50.0% 13
Five Points South 68.4% 31
Fairview 100.0% 56
Fairmont 66.7% 24
Evergreen 100.0% 56
Ensley Highlands 100.0% 56
Ensley 100.0% 56
Enon Ridge 100.0% 56
Echo Highlands 46.2% 12
Eastwood 71.4% 34
East Thomas 85.7% 52
East Lake 62.5% 23
East Brownville 100.0% 56
East Birmingham 100.0% 56
East Avondale 66.7% 24
Druid Hills 100.0% 56
Dolomite 20.0% 3
Crestwood South 30.0% 5
Crestwood North 57.1% 20
Crestline 41.7% 9
Collegeville 100.0% 56
College Hills 75.0% 38
Central Pratt 100.0% 56
Central Park 100.0% 56
Central City 100.0% 56
Bush Hills 100.0% 56
Brummitt Heights 100.0% 56
Brownsville Heights 100.0% 56
Brown Springs 100.0% 56
Bridlewood 75.0% 38
Belview Heights 100.0% 56
Arlington - West End 81.8% 47
Apple Valley 50.0% 13
Airport Highlands 100.0% 56
Acipco-Finley 100.0% 56

Key Citations:
1. Flournoy, Rebecca. “Healthy Food Healthy Communities, Promising Strategies to Improve Access to Fresh, Healthy Food and Transform Communities” (2011). PolicyLink.
2. NCHH. “Housing Interventions at the Neighborhood Level and Health: A Review of the Evidence” National Center for Healthy Housing. 2010.
3. Lovasi, Gina S., et al. “Built Environments and Obesity in Disadvantaged Populations” (2009). Epidemiologic Reviews, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
4. Whitacre, Paula, et al. “The Public Health Effects of Food Deserts: Workshop Summary” (2009). National Academy of Sciences.