County food-access profile · Arkansas
Benton County, AR
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Benton County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 24.9%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 3.9%
- on SNAP
- 304K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.9% of Benton County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 49 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 23
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
- 2.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.6%
- 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).
USDA data puts Benton County's low-access share at 24.9%, above the national share. 23 of the county's 49 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 55,102 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,805 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 Benton County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Benton County's 24.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,304 most-affected nationwide.
Benton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 49 census tracts in Benton County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Benton County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
- Bradley
Bradley County, AR
23.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 49 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 221,339 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 23 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 55,102 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,805 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 303,632 |
| Median Household Income | $93,506 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,337 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 3.9% of Benton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 3.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,337 households here.
- 2.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Benton County
above the national share
4 of Benton County's 49 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.2% of all its tracts.
A further 19 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 23.
An estimated 55,102 residents, roughly 24.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,805 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 26 tracts (53.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Benton County
Benton County has 161 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 61 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 61
- a'chau oriental market, rogers
- casey's 3264, bella vista
- casey's 3314, rogers
- casey's 3766, cave springs
- casey's 4329, gentry
- casey's 4389, pea ridge
- captains food mart 24, rogers
- captains food mart 26, gentry
- casey's 3406, bentonville
- casey's 3891, gravette
- casey's general store 2990, bella vista
- casey's general store 3022, bentonville
- casey's general store 3051, bentonville
- casey's general store 3076, bentonville
- casey's general store 3207, rogers
- casey's general store 3209, rogers
- casey's general store 3242, siloam springs
- casey's general store 3250, rogers
- casey's general store 3255, rogers
- casey's general store 3426, centerton
- e-z mart 4309, pea ridge
- e-z mart 4321, springdale
- fielding sta & grocery, springdale
- gas express llc d/b/a circle k 353, bentonville
- gentry station 1, gentry
- gravette station, gravette
- guanajuato centerton meat market, centerton
- handy mart, decatur
- handy stop mart, maysville
- in n out convenience store, siloam springs
- jiffy trip 701, siloam springs
- jiffy trip 704, siloam springs
- jiffy trip 721, rogers
- maverik 5042, lowell
- maverik 5143, lowell
- maverik 5145, rogers
- maverik 5157, rogers
- maverik 5171, lowell
- maverik 5172, bentonville
- maverik 5173, bentonville
- maverik 5211, bentonville
- maverik 5254, bentonville
- maverik 5342, springdale
- maverik 5348, rogers
- maverik 5355, rogers
- maverik 5381, rogers
- maverik 5421, rogers
- murphy express 8555, bentonville
- murphy usa 6519, bentonville
- murphy usa 6529, rogers
- murphy usa 6748, rogers
- murphy usa 7854, siloam springs
- prairie creek cove, rogers
- siloam station 3, siloam springs
- walmart fuel station 5260, rogers
- walmart to go 7368, bentonville
- white oak moark 36, bentonville
- white oak moark 38, springdale
- white oak moark 65, garfield
- white oak station #23 23, pea ridge
- whiteoak station # 32, centerton
Combination Grocery/Other · 50
- asian fresh supermarket, lowell
- braum's 221, bentonville
- braum's 222, siloam springs
- braum's 228, rogers
- braum's 254, bentonville
- cvs pharmacy #10408 10480, bella vista
- cvs pharmacy 10816, rogers
- dollar general 0151, gravette
- dollar general 0242, siloam springs
- dollar general 10007, rogers
- dollar general 1528, centerton
- dollar general 18366, siloam springs
- dollar general 1873, bentonville
- dollar general 1981, rogers
- dollar general 2520, rogers
- dollar general 3208, gentry
- dollar general 3561, pea ridge
- dollar general 3997, lowell
- dollar general 7479, bentonville
- dollartree 6924, rogers
- dollartree 8806, rogers
- dollartree plus 8912, bentonville
- dollar general 12272, rogers
- dollar general 12922, garfield
- dollar general 15209, avoca
- dollar general 22405, sulphur springs
- dollar general 22590, gentry
- dollar general 23141, hiwasse
- dollar general 23820, bentonville
- dollar general 24037, springdale
- dollar general 24397, gravette
- dollar general 24398, gentry
- dollar general 24935, pea ridge
- dollar general 5712, bella vista
- dollar general 7978, decatur
- dollar general 9832, cave springs
- dollar tree 2559, siloam springs
- dollar tree 7877, rogers
- dollar tree 7961, rogers
- dollar tree 8440, pea ridge
- family dollar 4372, rogers
- family dollar 4511, rogers
- sleepy hollow, gentry
- walgreens 09813, rogers
- walgreens 10586, siloam springs
- walgreens 5237, rogers
- walgreens 09593, bella vista
- walgreens 12500, rogers
- walgreens 16021, bentonville
- walgreens 21433, centerton
Super Store · 27
- 10 box cost-plus 357, rogers
- allen's foods, bella vista
- harps food store #228 228, lowell
- harps food store 109, gentry
- harps food store 113, siloam springs
- harps food store 117, rogers
- harps food store 122, centerton
- harps food store 127, bentonville
- harps food store 175, bella vista
- harps food store 504, gravette
- sam's club 4969, bentonville
- target store 2498, rogers
- walmart 1, rogers
- walmart 100, bentonville
- walmart 3479, rogers
- walmart neighborhood mkt 2741, bentonville
- walmart neighborhood market 2686, bentonville
- walmart neighborhood market 3164, bentonville
- walmart neighborhood market 3654, rogers
- walmart neighborhood market 4376, bentonville
- walmart neighborhood market 4686, bentonville
- walmart neighborhood market 5837, rogers
- walmart neighborhood market 6953, bentonville
- walmart neighborhood market 6960, siloam springs
- walmart neighborhood market 6971, pea ridge
- walmart supercenter 5260, rogers
- walmart supercenter 4, siloam springs
Large Grocery Store · 6
- akin's natural foods 19, rogers
- asian amigo supermarket 1, rogers
- encarnacion market, rogers
- la guadalupana market, rogers
- namaste indian grocery, bentonville
- supermercado la michoacana #2, siloam springs
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 46073, rogers
- aldi 46038, bentonville
- aldi inc 39, siloam springs
- super mercado lavillita, rogers
- supermercado taranda, rogers
- the fresh market 153, rogers
Farmers' Market · 4
- bella vista farmers & makers market, bella vista
- bentonville farmers market, bentonville
- rogers local food market, rogers
- siloam springs farmers market, siloam springs
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- el campesino supermercado and restaurant, rogers
- la finca market, rogers
- oriental food market, siloam springs
Small Grocery Store · 2
- j & d asian market, llc, springdale
- tienda mexicana la estrella, rogers
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza ar015, rogers
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- chicken depot, siloam springs
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Benton County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Benton County sits inside Arkansas (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 Benton County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Benton County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Benton County? ▼
Is Benton County a food desert? ▼
What share of Benton 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.