Signature · 2 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)
Benton County, MS
Benton County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 35.7% low-access.
- 35.7%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 17.2%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Benton County, MS
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 35.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +13.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Sunflower County (+ 0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Benton County sits in the upper national band (35.7%, #560 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #560
- national by low-access %
- #11
- in MS
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .
How Benton County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Benton County's 35.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #564 most-affected nationwide.
Benton County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Benton County has 0 urban and 2 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 high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Mississippi, not a full county-board reprint
- Quitman
Quitman 90.1%
90.1 % low-access
- Lafayette
Lafayette 37.5%
37.5 % low-access
- Kemper
Kemper 37%
37 % low-access
- Sunflower
Sunflower 36.2%
36.2 % low-access
- Benton 35.7
Benton 35.7%
35.7 % low-access
- Hinds 34.9
Hinds 34.9%
34.9 % low-access
- Covington 0
Covington 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 8,729 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,120 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,480 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,589 |
| Median Household Income | $46,016 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.5%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 530 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Benton County
Benton County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 4
- ashland food mart, ashland
- ashland quick stop 1, ashland
- city mart, hickory flat
- express mart, hickory flat
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 12443, hickory flat
- dollar general 3639, ashland
- family dollar 12986, ashland
Supermarket · 1
- food giant 589, ashland
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Mississippi
One of 81 counties in Mississippi, 6 are shown here.
Compare Benton County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →
Benton County inside a higher low-access state context
Benton County sits inside Mississippi (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, MS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 28009. 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.