The Influence of Food Store Access on Grocery Shopping and Food Spending

by Michele Ver Ploeg, Elizabeth Larimore, and Parke E. Wilde

Low access to foodstores such as supermarkets may mean that households rely on nearby retailers like convenience stores or fast-food restaurants that do not offer a variety of healthful foods. The report assesses how the local food environment, household mobility, and assets are related to where households shop for food.

Keywords: foodstore access, food shopping, food expenditures, FoodAPS, National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey, food away from home, restaurants, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), low income households

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Report summary