Food Desert in Dallas

[Miranda Snodgrass]

               According to the USDA, a “food desert,” is a low income area where a substantial number of residents have low access to a supermarket or grocery store. The southern part of Dallas, one of the top ten largest cities in America, fits the description to a tee. With an interstate dividing the city, a vast majority of grocery stores are located on the north side of that interstate. But when you look for a grocery store on the south side? Google pulls up corner store after corner store, with no grocery store insight.

               Residents of South Dallas have stated that there is not only a lack of good produce but just a lack of stores in general. The only thing they’re asking for? A really nice Kroger like the North side of the city has a plethora of. The answer to this question may seem easy: drive into North Dallas and go to their grocery stores. But the problem with that solution? Most South Dallas residents don’t have access to private transportation and the DART railways only go so far. This makes it even more difficult for South Dallas residents to get the everyday groceries they need.  

               Although not every resident in the southern part of the city is without a private mode of transportation, it is not always easy for them to travel into the northern parts of Dallas. The city is known for the terrible amounts of traffic it produces at any point in the day. If a South Dallas mother is looking to go grocery shopping after getting off work at five, during rush hour, it may take her up to an hour just to get to the grocery store. Which is ridiculous to consider because who wants to drive over an hour, or even half an hour, just to go grocery shopping? Especially since those who outside of that southern sector, have access to a different store on every street corner. Some even within walking distances from their houses.

               Through, NOFA, three million dollars will be given as an incentive to building a quality grocery store in the southern part of the city. Bringing in the grocery store will even help offer jobs to the residents of South Dallas. And while, this once again, seems to be an easy fix, it appears that most developers don’t want to build in the southern part of the city, even if it is where the need is. Instead, they want to take their stores north, east or west, leaving the southern part of the city Dallas’ very own food desert.

[Shavelly Then]

Hello Miranda,

As a South Texas resident I can totally agree with you. The supermarket options in the South are extremely low. I now go to Aldi's, because thankfully they opened a store nearby. But, before living close to Aldi's I would go to Winco. Winco was 20 minutes away from my house, which is a long drive. I have thought about moving to Midlothian many times, but one of the things that has prevented me on doing so is knowing how long I have to commute for the  supermarket.