PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Barry County, MO

Barry 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.

19.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
11.0%
on SNAP
35K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

19.7% of Barry County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
15.2%
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).

Barry County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.7% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,017 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,014 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 Barry County compares nationally

Barry County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.7% low-access share that beats 46% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,706).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Barry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Barry 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 Barry County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (71.4%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 71% Limited 0% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Barry County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Barry County vs. other Missouri counties

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

% 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 Barry County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)35,597
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population7,017
Low-Access Share19.7%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,014

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Barry County
IndicatorValue
Population35,033
Median Household Income$58,346
Poverty Rate15.2%near the national average
SNAP Households1,465
SNAP Participation Rate11.0%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.7%
SNAP participation in Barry County 11.0%

About 11.0% of Barry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,465 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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 Barry County

near the national share

2 of Barry County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

An estimated 7,017 residents, roughly 19.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,014 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Barry County

Barry County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 16

  • casey's 2258, monett
  • casey's general store 2058, monett
  • caseys general store 3068, cassville
  • cassville super stop, cassville
  • fastrip 1, cassville
  • fastrip wheaton 001, wheaton
  • jayakrishna llc, monett
  • l & l stores, eagle rock
  • monett truck stop, monett
  • murphy usa 7829, monett
  • package liquor, washburn
  • rapid robert's 106, shell knob
  • rapid roberts 107, monett
  • viney creek store, golden
  • white oak moark 77, cassville
  • white oak station dba seligmans super stop, seligman

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • braums 253, monett
  • dollar general 11049, purdy
  • dollar general 14995, eagle rock
  • dollar general 15781, rocky comfort
  • dollar general 23504, washburn
  • dollar general 31292, golden
  • dollar general 4022, shell knob
  • dollar general 708, monett
  • dollar general 7759, seligman
  • dollar general 8613, monett
  • dollar general store 3945, cassville
  • dollar tree 6069, cassville
  • dollar tree 6458, monett
  • prime cut, monett
  • wheaton asian american market, wheaton

Super Store · 3

  • harps food store 271, seligman
  • walmart sc 48, monett
  • walmart sc 914, cassville

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la michoacana 1, monett
  • plaza mexico inc, monett

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • cross asian grocery, wheaton
  • monett asian grocery llc, monett

Supermarket · 2

  • harter house shell knob l.l.c. 1, shell knob
  • king food saver 16, cassville

Farmers' Market · 1

  • monett area farmers market, monett

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • wheaton family market, wheaton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Missouri

Adair County
27.3% low-access · 9.0% SNAP
Andrew County
15.8% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Atchison County
5.1% low-access · 5.8% SNAP
Audrain County
22.6% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Barton County
56.5% low-access · 18.5% SNAP
Bates County
18.6% low-access · 11.2% SNAP

Compare Barry County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

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

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Barry County has low food access? ▼
19.7% of residents in Barry County, MO 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 Barry County? ▼
11.0% of households in Barry County receive SNAP, covering 1,465 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Barry County? ▼
The poverty rate in Barry County, MO is 15.2%, with a median household income of $58,346 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Barry County a food desert? ▼
2 of Barry County's 7 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 Barry County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Barry 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.