County food-access profile · Kentucky
Bourbon County, KY
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Bourbon 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).
- 26.7%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 14.9%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
26.7% of Bourbon County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.2%
- 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 Bourbon County's low-access share at 26.7%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 5,335 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,450 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 Bourbon County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Bourbon County's 26.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,176 most-affected nationwide.
Bourbon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Bourbon County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Bourbon County vs. other Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Bourbon
Bourbon County, KY
26.7 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,985 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,335 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,450 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,240 |
| Median Household Income | $61,354 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,213 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
About 14.9% of Bourbon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 26.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,213 households here.
- 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Bourbon County
above the national share
2 of Bourbon County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 5,335 residents, roughly 26.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,450 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Bourbon County
Bourbon County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- apple market 530, paris
- blackberry mart, paris
- circle k 4703201, paris
- estepps paris 5, paris
- mid mart, north middletow
- michael's foodmart, paris
- millersburg 1st stop 20, millersburg
- murphy usa 7414, paris
- paris bp, paris
- speedway 9578, paris
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 3016, paris
- dollar general 15202, paris
- dollar general 15870, north middletown
- dollar tree 3717, paris
- family dollar store 10432, carlisle
- family dollar store 10542, paris
- family dollar store 3217, paris
- walgreens 18005, paris
Farmers' Market · 1
- the farmers market of paris and bourbon county inc, paris
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 493, paris
Supermarket · 1
- save a lot paris 24902, paris
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Bourbon County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Bourbon County sits inside Kentucky (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 Bourbon County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Bourbon County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Bourbon County? ▼
Is Bourbon County a food desert? ▼
What share of Bourbon 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.