A Demographic Analysis of the Distribution of Farmers Markets and Grocery Stores in Northern Virginia

Abstract

Increasingly, consumers are seeking opportunities to buy locally grown fresh foods at farmers markets in lieu of conventionally sourced foods at grocery stores due to perceptions of environmental, economic and social harms associated with the latter. Critics contend that the buy local movement reflects a culture of elitism, exclusivity, and inequity. To test this criticism, this study used GIS techniques to map the distribution of farmers markets and grocery stores in Northern Virginia relative to certain demographic attributes. The results of this study indicate that in parts of Northern Virginia, farmers markets tend to be located in areas with higher levels of educational attainment, higher median income, higher concentrations of people who identify as White, and higher numbers of households without vehicles as compared to the location of grocery stores. In addition, this study indicates that there is a high degree of walkability to both farmers markets and grocery stores in all Northern Virginia counties (except Fairfax City and Manassas Park City, which do not have farmers markets).