Food Desert

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Working Group considers a food desert as a low-income census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store.

"Southeast Raleigh is recognized by the US Department of Agriculture as a "food desert," an urban low-income area where the poverty rate is at least 20 percent and at least 33 percent of residents have low access to a supermarket or large grocery store."

As of 2010, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Environment Atlas, the access and proximity to grocery stores for Wake County, North Carolina is:

Seniors - 2%

Families with children - 5%

Population, low access to store - 19%
Low income and low access to store - 4%
Households with no car, low access to store - 1%

In an area of fixed incomes and limited transportation, Ohio-based company Kroger will be closing two Raleigh area stores in mid-January.  Essentially, the closure of the Kroger stores not only affects the loss of access to groceries but the access to prescribed medication as each location has pharmacies.  What's even more alarming is that residents directly impacted by the closures live in assisted living facilities located within walking distance of one location.

Sources:

http://ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-environment-atlas/go-to-the-atlas.aspx - USDA Economic Research Services

http://www.wral.com/kroger-stores-closing-in-southeast-raleigh/11865270/ - Southeast Raleigh Residents Brainstorm filling Kroger's void