Signature · 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)

Benton County, MO

Benton County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 9.4% low-access.

9.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
12.5%
on SNAP
20K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

USDA FARA access plate

County Benton County, MO

LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-MODERATE 9.4% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -12.7 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-TYPICAL 12.5% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 4.2% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Scotland County (+ 0.2 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Benton County lands in the lower national band (9.4%, #2,524 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,524
national by low-access %
#95
in MO
2
low-access tracts
987
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .

How Benton County compares nationally

Benton County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.4% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,532).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Benton County's lower-band USDA tier split

6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Benton County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 0% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Benton County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Benton County has 0 urban and 6 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.

Benton County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Missouri, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Benton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)19,056
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population1,800
Low-Access Share9.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population987

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Benton County
IndicatorValue
Population20,151
Median Household Income$52,567
Poverty Rate19.9%above the national average
SNAP Households1,070
SNAP Participation Rate12.5%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%

SNAP retailers in Benton County

Benton County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 8

  • casey's 1088, lincoln
  • casey's 1090, warsaw
  • casey's 1450, cole camp
  • casey's general store 3716, warsaw
  • fuel expresso # 43 1, lincoln
  • j-r convenience llc, warsaw
  • murphy usa 6991, warsaw
  • puddle jumpers bait & country mart, warsaw

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dollar general 12888, cole camp
  • dollar general 16502, warsaw
  • dollar general 24478, edwards
  • dollar general 2958, warsaw
  • dollar general 6148, lincoln
  • dollar tree 6324, warsaw

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • jackman meat processing, warsaw

Super Store · 1

  • walmart sc 250, warsaw

Supermarket · 1

  • g & w country mart 2749, warsaw

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 Benton County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Counties near Benton County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Benton 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 (9.4% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside MO (12.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Benton County inside a lower low-access state context

Benton 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 Benton County, MO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 29015. 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.