Signature · 3 LILA tracts (30% of tracts)
Barren County, KY
Barren County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (30% of the book) alongside 15.5% low-access.
- 15.5%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 16.3%
- on SNAP
- 45K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Barren County, KY
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 15.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.3% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 30% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Harrison County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Barren County ranks #2,072 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #45 of 110 counties in KY (15.5% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #2,072
- national by low-access %
- #45
- in KY
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (30% of tracts) .
How Barren County compares nationally
Barren County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.5% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,080).
Barren County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Barren County has 3 urban and 7 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Barren County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Washington 16.2
Washington 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- Warren 16
Warren 16%
16 % low-access
- Harrison 15.6
Harrison 15.6%
15.6 % low-access
- Barren 15.5
Barren 15.5%
15.5 % low-access
- Livingston 15.4
Livingston 15.4%
15.4 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 42,173 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,556 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,202 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 44,938 |
| Median Household Income | $50,628 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,931 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Barren County
Barren County has 61 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 25
- 44 market, glasgow
- birite grocery llc, cave city
- burkesville shell 83, glasgow
- circle k 3373, glasgow
- club tequila, tienda y taqueria, llc, glasgow
- fivestar 2215, cave city
- fivestar 4409, glasgow
- fivestar 4411, glasgow
- glasgow amoco 81, glasgow
- glasgow fuel & food inc, cave city
- happy valley food mart, glasgow
- iga express shell 883, cave city
- mainstreet shell 82, glasgow
- minit mart 4425, cave city
- minit mart 4433, glasgow
- minit mart 600517, cave city
- murphy usa 7851, glasgow
- park city shell 86, park city
- speedway 9355, glasgow
- scottsville shell 84, glasgow
- shreeji food store 1, glasgow
- shreeji food store 2, glasgow
- south green market, glasgow
- temple hill market, glasgow
- zacks express, glasgow
Combination Grocery/Other · 21
- dollar general 14135, glasgow
- dollar general 2735, glasgow
- dollar general 3493, cave city
- dollar general 11634, park city
- dollar general 12298, glasgow
- dollar general 12616, cave city
- dollar general 13454, glasgow
- dollar general 20338, glasgow
- dollar general 22160, park city
- dollar general 22320, glasgow
- dollar general 23452, cave city
- dollar general 25606, glasgow
- dollar general 25851, glasgow
- dollar general 31329, glasgow
- dollar general 31402, glasgow
- dollar tree 1492, glasgow
- family dollar store 3525, glasgow
- family dollar 12624, park city
- family dollar 9098, glasgow
- ken davis produce, glasgow
- walgreens 7712, glasgow
Supermarket · 7
- crossroads iga 762, cave city
- food lion 492, glasgow
- houchens market 001, glasgow
- houchens save a lot 150, glasgow
- houchens save a lot 234, cave city
- houchens market 27, glasgow
- houchens market 38, glasgow
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- mercadito latino llc, glasgow
- phillips family butcher shop, glasgow
Super Store · 2
- ruler 284, glasgow
- walmart store 711, glasgow
Farmers' Market · 1
- bounty of the barrens farmers market, glasgow
Large Grocery Store · 1
- phillips family grocery & butcher shop, hiseville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mammoth valley, cave city
Small Grocery Store · 1
- la nacional llc, glasgow
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare Barren County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Nationwide peers for Barren County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Barren County, both outside Kentucky so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (15.5% here).
- Iberia Parish, LA · 15.5% low-access
- Iberia Parish, LA · 15.5% low-access
- Winn Parish, LA · 15.5% low-access
- Winn Parish, LA · 15.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (16.3% here).
- Terrebonne Parish, LA · 16.3% SNAP
- Terrebonne Parish, LA · 16.3% SNAP
- Panola County, MS · 16.3% SNAP
- Panola County, MS · 16.3% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Barren County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Barren County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21009. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.