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 #560 most-affected nationwide.
Benton County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
All 2 of Benton County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 8 authorized stores; Ashland holds 63% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Hickory Flat.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Ashland | 5 | 1 |
| Hickory Flat | 3 | none |
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 →
Mississippi among East South Central states
Mississippi ranks 2nd of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Benton County, at 35.7%, runs 9.3 pts above the Mississippi rate.
- Tennessee 27.2%
- Mississippi 26.4%
- Alabama 24.5%
- Kentucky 19.8%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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.