Exploring Food Accessibility and Social Vulnerability in Atlanta, Georgia

Abstract

The current study offers an in-depth spatial analysis of food accessibility and social vulnerability in the City of Atlanta, GA. We used the Two-Step Floating Catchment (2SFCA) methodology to develop a food accessibility index (FAI) and combined that with CDC’s social vulnerability index (SVI) to study the most vulnerable population with low food access. Using the 2020 Census data, we identified six main Census tracts where the socially vulnerable residents were affected the most because they had the least access to food within a 15-minute walk or 15-minute drive time in three distinctive regions in Atlanta. Our findings can be used by city officials to provide incentives for improving food access and by organizations looking for suitable regions to place new food-serving sites.