food desert

American  

noun

1. an area, usually low-income, in which many residents cannot easily get to stores that sell affordable, healthful foods.

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Etymology

Origin of food desert

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

There are 50 food desert communities across New Jersey, including densely populated cities like Trenton and Atlantic City.

From Salon • Oct. 11, 2025

Union is also what is termed a "food desert", where many residents live far from the nearest supermarket.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2025

Around the same time, terms like food desert went mainstream, defining the regions within cities where the only available food was the kind that is addictive and might kill you a little quicker.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024

In another study, Tallamy and his co-authors likened the ecological effect of nonnative plantings to that of a food desert.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2024

That was before South Shore became a food desert, before eviction and crime rates rose, before the pandemic drove even more businesses and people from the area.

From Washington Post • Apr. 3, 2023