## Proximity to a Grocery Store Percentage of housing units within ½-mile of a full-service, chain grocery store
Healthy food and physical activity are essential for combating obesity, reducing preventable chronic diseases and promoting overall healthy living. Grocery stores can provide access to a greater variety of cheaper and healthier foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, helping to facilitate healthier dietary choices. While they are not included here, Farmers' markets provide another source of community access to fresh, locally produced fruits, vegetables and other food products, and may be particularly important in areas poorly served by full-service grocery stores. Proximity to a grocery store is only one aspect of accessibility. Other factors that affect access are cost, hours of operation, transportation, and geographic barriers such as major highways.
Overall, 32% of housing units in Mecklenburg County had proximity to a chain grocery store in 2021, up from 26% in 2011. The total number of full-service, chain grocery stores in Mecklenburg County is constantly increasing - 141 in 2011 to 161 in 2021.
In 2021, 29% of people in Mecklenburg County were medically overweight or obese, 15% experienced food insecurity over the past year, and 7% of low- and moderate-income households had limited access to healthy foods. Food insecurity means that they have a reduced quality and variety of diet, may eat less, and that their eating patterns are disrupted due to lack of money and resources. Through community-wide action planning, the Mecklenburg County Health Department is working to improve access to healthy foods and food choices through: building community and school gardens, working to have SNAP benefits accepted at farmer's markets, attracting full-service grocery stores to food deserts and improving healthy school lunch and vending machine choices.
Food and Nutrition Services
Population Density
Housing Density
Household Income
Proximity to Public Outdoor Recreation
Number of housing units within ½-mile of a chain grocery story divided by the number of housing units.
Note: Stores include Southland Supermarket, Wayne's, Giant Penny, SAVE-A-LOT, Kmart, Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, Aldi, Bi-Lo, Food Lion, Target, SuperTarget, Harris Teeter, Compare Foods, Trader Joes, Lidl, Reids, Healthy Home Market, The Fresh Market, EarthFare, Whole Foods and Publix. This does not include non-full-service stores (e.g. convenience stores), farmers' markets or food delivery services.
Note: This variable is calculated using only grocery stores located inside Mecklenburg County.
Source: Chain grocery store addresses; Mecklenburg County Tax Parcels
| Resource | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Explorer | Learn about Charlotte, its operations and its changing landscape. |
| Farmers Markets | Explore the streets and find some fresh local food options at Mecklenburg County's Farmers Markets. |
| Community Gardens | Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department now offers local residents the opportunity to rent their own garden space. |
| Food Access in Charlotte | See the 2010 report on access to quality food in Charlotte, with an update here. |
| County Health Rankings | Compare food access in Mecklenburg County to other counties in the nation, along with a variety of other health indicators. |
| National Food Access Atlas | Create maps and view indicators of food access by census tracts across the nation. |
| Mecklenburg County Food and Nutrition Services Program | Securing food for those in need. |