Mecklenburg County North Carolina Targets High Need Census Tracts Through the Healthy Food Retail Designation Program

Chronic Disease Map Gallery

At a glance

This map highlights low-income census tracts that are also considered to have low access to healthy foods (LILA), while also highlighting the correlation between these LILA tracts and those with the highest obesity prevalence within the county. Additionally, it shows small retail stores who've received and maintain current recognition under the Healthy Food Retail (HFR) Designation for increasing access to healthy foods, revealing the intentional implementation of the program in the highest-need census tracts.

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This map displays census tracts within Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, that are considered low-income while also having low access to healthy foods (LILA) in 2019, along with the highest obesity census tracts in 2019. Current small retail stores awarded recognition under the Healthy Food Retail (HFR) Designation program have been layered over this map to show that the program has been well-targeted in its implementation in Mecklenburg County, with all 24 stores within the county residing in, or bordering, LILA census tracts that also fell within the top third of census tracts within the county for obesity in 2019.
Mecklenburg County (NC) Targets High Need Census Tracts Through the Healthy Food Retail Designation Program

Data sources

This map displays census tracts within Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, that are considered low-income while also having low access to healthy foods (LILA) in 2019, along with the highest obesity census tracts in 2019. Current small retail stores awarded recognition under the Healthy Food Retail (HFR) Designation program have been layered over this map to show that the program has been well-targeted in its implementation in Mecklenburg County, with all 24 stores within the county residing in, or bordering, LILA census tracts that also fell within the top third of census tracts within the county for obesity in 2019.

ArcGIS

BRFSS/PLACES; U.S. Census; USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas, 2019; Eat Smart Move More North Carolina.

  1. Census tracts are designated as low-income if its poverty rate >20%, median family income <80% of statewide median income, or, if in a metropolitan area, a median family income <80% of the surrounding metropolitan area's median family income. Census tracts are designated as having low healthy food access if containing > 500 people, or 33% of the population, living > ½-mile (urban) or > 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store.
  2. CDC PLACES estimates are derived from 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data released in 2021; County-level estimates utilize American Community Survey 2015-2019 5-year population estimates, census tract-level estimates utilize U.S. Census 2010 population counts. Note: Stores eligible for HFR designation must be considered a small food store, defined as a corner store, convenience store, country store, dollar store, bodega, or mini-mart.

The NC Healthy Food Retail Designation is currently under renovation and has the potential to expand its reach moving forward. This map serves as a baseline for monitoring future program implementation within high-need census tracts as well as monitoring its potential impact on the health of residents in these tracts.

Ryan Ward, Program Consultant/Evaluator
North Carolina Division of Public Health, Chronic Disease and Injury Section, Community and Clinical Connections for Prevention and Health Branch
252-333-8913
Ryan.Ward@dhhs.nc.gov

Ryan Ward, Program Consultant/Evaluator, North Carolina Division of Public Health, Chronic Disease and Injury Section, Community and Clinical Connections for Prevention and Health Branch. Accessed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Chronic Disease Map Gallery.

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP); About the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention