County food-access profile · Kentucky
Bell County, KY
Bell 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.
- 14.0%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 24.5%
- on SNAP
- 24K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.0% of Bell County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 10.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 28.8%
- 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).
Bell County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.0% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,010 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,867 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 Bell County compares nationally
Bell County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.0% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,204).
Bell County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Bell County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Bell County vs. other Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Bell
Bell County, KY
14 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,691 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,010 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,867 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,509 |
| Median Household Income | $31,354 |
| Poverty Rate | 28.8%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,440 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.5%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.6%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
About 24.5% of Bell County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 24.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,440 households here.
- 10.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Bell County
near the national share
3 of Bell County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 4,010 residents, roughly 14.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,867 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 Bell County
Bell County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- casey's 4223, middlesboro
- chenoa country store, pineville
- circle k 4703200, middlesboro
- gambrel's food mart, arjay
- howards market and grill, hulen
- lee's food mart 10, middlesboro
- lee's food mart 11, pineville
- lee's food mart 16, middlesboro
- lee's food mart 3, middlesboro
- lee's food mart 4, middlesboro
- mapco express, inc 1060, pineville
- murphy usa 5699, middlesboro
- pigs place limited, pineville
- pineville mart, pineville
- pineville shell, pineville
- rudrakshi llc, middlesboro
- shikotar llc, middlesboro
- wildcat country store, calvin
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 0174, pineville
- dollar general 15144, pineville
- dollar general 8258, middlesboro
- dollar general 9698, middlesboro
- dollar general 21983, fourmile
- dollar tree 118, middlesboro
- family dollar store 3455, pineville
- family dollar store 5408, middlesboro
- walgreens 13034, pineville
Super Store · 3
- kroger 355, middlesboro
- long's pic pac, pineville
- walmart 739, middlesboro
Supermarket · 3
- food city 428, middlesboro
- houchens save a lot 171, middlesboro
- houchens save a lot 172, pineville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Bell County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Bell County sits inside Kentucky (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 Bell County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Bell County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Bell County? ▼
Is Bell County a food desert? ▼
What share of Bell County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.