Food desert

Uncommon card · No. 174303

A food desert is an area that has limited access to affordable, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food. Food deserts are commonly paired with food swamps, which lack grocery stores and instead have convenience stores or fast food. In contrast, an area with greater access to grocers or farmers' markets with fresh foods may be called a food oasis. Food deserts are commonly associated with food insecurity and are linked to worsening health outcome including an increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that an estimated 12.8% of the US population were living in low-income and low-access census tracts. Of this number, 22 million people live in "food deserts", which they define as low-income census tracts that are more than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from a supermarket in urban or suburban areas and more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from a supermarket in rural areas. However, food...

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