PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

Baxter County, AR

Baxter 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.

16.4%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
8.5%
on SNAP
42K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

16.4% of Baxter County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.6%
households, no vehicle
15.5%
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).

Baxter County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,821 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Baxter County compares nationally

Baxter County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.4% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,001).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Baxter County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Baxter 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 Baxter County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (66.7%) 3 tracts limited (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 33% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Baxter County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Baxter County vs. other Arkansas counties

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

% 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 Baxter County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,513
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population6,821
Low-Access Share16.4%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,333

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Baxter County
IndicatorValue
Population42,407
Median Household Income$48,452
Poverty Rate15.5%near the national average
SNAP Households1,647
SNAP Participation Rate8.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.6%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Baxter County 8.5%

About 8.5% of Baxter County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,647 households here.
  • 4.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $48,452 with a 15.5% poverty rate.

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 Baxter County

near the national share

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,821 residents, roughly 16.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,333 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Baxter County

Baxter County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 15 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • dollar general 1065, mountain home
  • dollar general 10853, mountain home
  • dollar general 13974, midway
  • dollar general 12843, salesville
  • dollar general 13772, mountain home
  • dollar general 16707, mountain home
  • dollar general 21210, henderson
  • dollar general 22097, mountain home
  • dollar general 22161, mountain home
  • dollar general 23578, lakeview
  • dollar general 30721, mountain home
  • dollar general 7265, gassville
  • dollar general store 17318, mountain home
  • twin lakes packing and processing, gassville
  • walgreens 09743, mountain home

Convenience Store · 13

  • 101 grocery & bait, gamaliel
  • big flat general store, big flat
  • casey's general store 3235, mountain home
  • casey's general store 3738, gassville
  • caseys general store 3530, mountain home
  • e-z mart 4231, mountain home
  • e-z mart 4243, mountain home
  • jordans kwik stop 83, mountain home
  • murphy usa 7744, mountain home
  • phillips express, mountain home
  • r & r country store and campground, llc, gamaliel
  • white oak moark 19, mountain home
  • y grocery & gas, mountain home

Super Store · 3

  • harps food store 135, mountain home
  • harps food store 156, mountain home
  • walmart 11, mountain home

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • kylas asian market, mountain home
  • two rivers market, norfork

Farmers' Market · 1

  • mountain home farmers market nafmnp, mountain home

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • sun fest market 2752, gassville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • the meat shop, mountain home

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • the truck patch, mountain home

Supermarket · 1

  • town and country 2453, mountain home

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arkansas

Arkansas County
47.0% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Ashley County
21.8% low-access · 13.2% SNAP
Benton County
24.9% low-access · 3.9% SNAP
Boone County
20.9% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Bradley County
23.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP
Calhoun County
65.5% low-access · 8.0% SNAP

Compare Baxter County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

Baxter County sits inside Arkansas (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 Baxter County has low food access? ▼
16.4% of residents in Baxter County, AR 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 Baxter County? ▼
8.5% of households in Baxter County receive SNAP, covering 1,647 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Baxter County? ▼
The poverty rate in Baxter County, AR is 15.5%, with a median household income of $48,452 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Baxter County a food desert? ▼
0 of Baxter County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Baxter County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.6% of households in Baxter 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.