County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Adair County, OK

Adair County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

9.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
25.3%
on SNAP
20K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

9.7% of Adair County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
9.0%
households, no vehicle
21.5%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

Adair County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.7% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,189 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,172 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Adair County compares nationally

Adair County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.7% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,511).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Adair County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 census tracts in Adair County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Adair County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (80.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 80% Limited 0% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Adair County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Adair County vs. other Oklahoma counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oklahoma

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Adair County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)22,683
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,189
Low-Access Share9.7%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,172

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Adair County
IndicatorValue
Population19,575
Median Household Income$48,041
Poverty Rate21.5%well above the national average
SNAP Households1,805
SNAP Participation Rate25.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.0%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.0%
SNAP participation in Adair County 25.3%

About 25.3% of Adair County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 25.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,805 households here.
  • 9.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Adair County

near the national share

1 of Adair County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,189 residents, roughly 9.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,172 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Adair County

Adair County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 9

  • casey's 3441, westville
  • casey's 3869, stilwell
  • circle h country store, stilwell
  • hop in food store, stilwell
  • kwik kountry, westville
  • love's travel stop 658, watts
  • murphy usa 7250, stilwell
  • sunshine # 18 3, westville
  • sunshine 12, stilwell

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 7756, westville
  • dollar general 9078, watts
  • dollartree 8674, stilwell
  • dollar general 1784, stilwell
  • dollar general 24242, watts
  • dollar general 30309, stilwell
  • family dollar 13337, westville
  • steve's produce, stilwell

Super Store · 3

  • harps food store 191, westville
  • harps food store 505, stilwell
  • walmart supercenter 81, stilwell

Farmers' Market · 1

  • adair county famrer's market, westville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • cliff's superette at mountain view meat company, stilwell

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Compare Adair County vs Alfalfa County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Adair County sits inside Oklahoma (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Adair County has low food access?
9.7% of residents in Adair County, OK live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Adair County?
25.3% of households in Adair County receive SNAP, covering 1,805 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Adair County?
The poverty rate in Adair County, OK is 21.5%, with a median household income of $48,041 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Adair County a food desert?
1 of Adair County's 5 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Adair County households lack a vehicle?
9.0% of households in Adair County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.