Maps areas lacking access to fresh food, overlaying demographic and income data to highlight nutrition inequality.
Problem
Millions of people live in areas with limited access to fresh, affordable food, but this issue is often invisible. Understanding where food deserts exist—and who is affected—requires clear mapping and demographic context. Without visual tools, it's difficult to see the geographic patterns of food inequality or understand how income, race, and location intersect to create barriers to healthy eating.
Overview
This project maps food deserts in the U.S. and overlays demographic and income data to highlight areas most affected by low food access and nutrition inequality. The visualization reveals spatial patterns of food insecurity at the census tract level, showing where residents must travel significant distances to reach grocery stores or lack access to fresh produce entirely.
How It Works (Approach)
Using USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census datasets, the system calculates food access metrics based on distance to grocery stores, vehicle availability, and income levels. These metrics are visualized on interactive geospatial maps with demographic overlays showing race, income, and population density. Users can filter by different access criteria and explore how food deserts correlate with other socioeconomic indicators.
Impact / Value
Policymakers, advocates, and researchers can identify underserved communities and prioritize interventions such as grocery store development, farmers' market placement, or transportation improvements. The project helps surface disparities in food access and highlight systemic challenges, supporting evidence-based policy decisions and community organizing efforts to address nutrition inequality.
Key Features
- Mapping of food deserts by census tract
- Demographic and income overlays
- Access metric calculations
- Interactive map explorer
- Integration with USDA and Census data