Signature · 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts)

Benton County, TN

Benton County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (40% of the book) alongside 12.6% low-access.

12.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
15.8%
on SNAP
16K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

USDA FARA access plate

County Benton County, TN

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

  • LA-MODERATE 12.6% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -9.5 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 15.8% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 5.4% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 40% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Hardeman County ( -0.1 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Benton County lands in the lower national band (12.6%, #2,291 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,291
national by low-access %
#55
in TN
2
low-access tracts
951
food-desert residents

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

Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts) .

How Benton County compares nationally

Benton County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.6% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,298).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Benton County's lower-band USDA tier split

5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Benton County, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (60.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (40.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 0% Severe 40% Food-access tier distribution: Benton County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Benton County has 1 urban and 4 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 Tennessee, 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 Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)16,489
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,075
Low-Access Share12.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population951

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Benton County
IndicatorValue
Population16,006
Median Household Income$51,746
Poverty Rate17.8%above the national average
SNAP Households1,126
SNAP Participation Rate15.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%

SNAP retailers in Benton County

Benton County has 18 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 8

  • big sandy food mart, big sandy
  • camden exxon, camden
  • camden fast fuel, camden
  • camden square food mart, camden
  • casey's 3433, camden
  • holladay express shop, holladay
  • murphy usa 7331, camden
  • one 9 fuel stop 1366, holladay

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 18609, holladay
  • dollar general 26, camden
  • dollar general 7480, big sandy
  • dollar general 20917, camden
  • dollar general 23238, camden
  • dollar general 25586, camden
  • dollar tree 4404, camden

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • cashsaver, big sandy

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 738, camden

Supermarket · 1

  • cash saver, camden

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Tennessee

One of 94 counties in Tennessee, 6 are shown here.

Compare Benton County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

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

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Benton County, both outside Tennessee so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside TN (12.6% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside TN (15.8% 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 Tennessee (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, TN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 47005. 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.