How Far Is It to Get Milk? Access to Major Grocery Stores for the Poverty-Level Population in Rhode Island

For many people living at or below the poverty level, transportation to a grocery store is a challenge that limits a household’s ability to get food. Many larger grocery stores that can offer lower prices and better selection are located in more affluent suburban neighborhoods. Urban and rural low-income households that cannot afford a vehicle must use public transportation, walk, or pay for a ride to get to larger stores. Using ArcGIS Network Analyst, the Environmental Data Center, a GIS laboratory in the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Natural Resources Science, modeled areas that are within 30 minutes of a major grocery store if a person had to walk or use public transportation. The resulting data was then compared with U.S. Census poverty data to determine regions in Rhode Island where people have trouble accessing grocery stores that offer greater variety and lower prices.

Courtesy of Mark Christiano, Environmental Data Center.