Signature · 1 LILA tracts (25% of tracts)
Bates County, MO
Bates County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (25% of the book) alongside 18.6% low-access.
- 18.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 11.2%
- on SNAP
- 16K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Bates County, MO
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 18.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.5 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.2% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lawrence County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Bates County ranks #1,795 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #64 of 115 counties in MO (18.6% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,795
- national by low-access %
- #64
- in MO
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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: 1 LILA tracts (25% of tracts) .
How Bates County compares nationally
Bates County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.6% low-access share that beats 42% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,809).
Bates County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Bates County has 1 urban and 3 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.
Bates County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Missouri, not a full county-board reprint
- Mercer
Mercer 99.8%
99.8 % low-access
- Butler 18.9
Butler 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Dent 18.9
Dent 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Caldwell 18.7
Caldwell 18.7%
18.7 % low-access
- Bates 18.6
Bates 18.6%
18.6 % low-access
- Lawrence 18.6
Lawrence 18.6%
18.6 % low-access
- Mississippi 3
Mississippi 3%
3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,049 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,166 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,475 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,186 |
| Median Household Income | $60,733 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 687 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
SNAP retailers in Bates County
Bates County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- bear stop convenience, butler
- casey's 4386, butler
- casey's general store 2695, adrian
- jassi mart, drexel
- lp mart adrian 39, adrian
- pete's 16, rich hill
- stoplight market, butler
- white oak moark 42, butler
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 12723, rich hill
- dollar general 6947, adrian
- dollar general 850, butler
- dollar tree 8328, butler
Supermarket · 2
- food fair supermarket, rich hill
- yoss thriftway, adrian
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mcbee's general store, amsterdam
Super Store · 1
- walmart sc 888, butler
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Missouri
One of 114 counties in Missouri, 6 are shown here.
Compare Bates County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Nationwide peers for Bates County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Bates County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MO (18.6% here).
- Valley County, ID · 18.6% low-access
- Valley County, ID · 18.6% low-access
- Palm Beach County, FL · 18.6% low-access
- Palm Beach County, FL · 18.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MO (11.2% here).
- Sanders County, MT · 11.2% SNAP
- Sanders County, MT · 11.2% SNAP
- Kalamazoo County, MI · 11.2% SNAP
- Kalamazoo County, MI · 11.2% 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, Missouri in context
Bates County sits inside Missouri (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 Bates County, MO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 29013. 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.