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In earlier threads, we've talked about inner city neighborhood that lack grocery stores, often called "Food Deserts". I found this article interesting. It suggests that the lack of grocery stores in city neighborhoods is exaggerated because small grocery stores are ignored.
I hope those don't create another rerun of "who wants to walk to a grocery store?" argument. While I get that walking to the grocery store is time-consuming or impractical for many; for others it's practical because a grocery store is a short walk away or they pass it anyway while walking and / or they go to the grocery store many times a week because they don't plan what they cook in advance (like some people I know).
Some interesting points. However, IN MY DREAMS would I have a nice ethnic grocery store w/in walking distance. Envious of those of you who have that.
I'm in a small town in the Rust Belt and feel blessed by our local CSA store. Other than that, the self-proclaimed "Downtown Grocery" really is just a C-store with overpriced milk, no produce and plenty of junk-food and cigarettes.
Blech.
I can't find it now, but recently I found an interactive map that shows "food deserts" at the census-tract level. My region doesn't have a whole lot of them, but they tend to be in middling-older suburbs rather than the central city. Here's the closest thing I could find, from Slate:
I live near a few neighborhood markets, and I do visit them once in a while. Because they're so close, it is pretty much effortless to go run down to the market if I realize I need this or that. Some charge more than a supermarket, but the tradeoff is convenience--thus the term "convenience store." If I hop in the car and drive to a discount market five miles away, I burn at least $2 worth of gasoline and take more time than paying an extra dollar for something at the corner store. But there are also discount stores and farmer's markets within walking distance, and some of the little ethnic markets have amazing stuff for cheap, and produce too!
Supermarkets go in and stay where they are the most profitable. High crime and low populations or populations without a lot of money are not profitable.
What is interesting is that most of the "food deserts" seem to be located in isolated rural areas, contrary to popular belief.
looking at the USDA site, there are a bunch in camden NJ, wilmington De, Baltimore (i just glanced at the Mid atlantic)
Those are much smaller census tracts (but more populous than the rural areas) so they wont show up unless you look closely.
They dont show up at all on slates map, which is at the county level. There are many rural counties that are food deserts (mostly indian reservations, poor mostly black counties in the deep south, or depressed parts of appalachia) - in urban areas its usually just a few tracts in a non food desert urban county.
What is interesting is that most of the "food deserts" seem to be located in isolated rural areas, contrary to popular belief.
It used to be that people in rural areas made their own food and didn't rely on grocers. Obviously most farming areas are dominated my multi-thousand acre industrial farms than mono-crop or raise a single animal species in a factory-like environment.
Most people who live in rural areas actually engage in an urban-style economy based on office and service occupations. They just have much longer commutes.
There was a radio show talking about difficulties in getting groceries in eastern Oregon -- I think it was on the Portland Public Radio station. They talked about the difficulties in even getting people to deliver to some of these rural areas. Much of the show also revolved around food options in Portland, with many callers pointing out that even in neighborhoods without as many grocery store options it wasn't quite as dire as some suggested. (can't remember the show, but it was available online in archived form)
Back to the original post, I would agree with this. I know our old neighborhood lacked a convenient major supermarket, which WAS a hassle, but we also had a lot of small ethnic markets that were wonderful in many other ways. It just wasn't the "traditional" modern American way of doing things. On the other hand, if the local option is, say, a 7-11 that doesn't really count.
It used to be that people in rural areas made their own food and didn't rely on grocers. Obviously most farming areas are dominated my multi-thousand acre industrial farms than mono-crop or raise a single animal species in a factory-like environment.
Most people who live in rural areas actually engage in an urban-style economy based on office and service occupations. They just have much longer commutes.
My mom grew up on a dairy farm. They grew some of their own vegetables, too, and my grandfather hunted and fished. But they did not grow their own wheat to make flour, grow enough vegetables to feed an entire family, shoot enough deer, catch enough fish, or grow fruit. Sometimes you want a hamburger, not deer meat. Farmers have always relied on grocery stores.
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Envious of those of you who have that. 
