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