PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kansas

Butler County, KS

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Butler 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).

26.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.5%
on SNAP
68K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

The food-access picture

26.9% of Butler County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
8.5%
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 Butler County's low-access share at 26.9%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 17,737 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,294 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 Butler County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Butler County's 26.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 63% of them and ranked #1,157 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Butler County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Butler County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Butler County, KS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (46.2%) 6 tracts limited (46.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 46% Limited 46% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Butler County, KS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Butler County vs. other Kansas counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kansas

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Butler County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)65,880
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population17,737
Low-Access Share26.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,294

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Butler County
IndicatorValue
Population68,287
Median Household Income$81,610
Poverty Rate8.5%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,641
SNAP Participation Rate6.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.5%
SNAP participation in Butler County 6.5%

About 6.5% of Butler County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,641 households here.
  • 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Butler County

above the national share

1 of Butler County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 17,737 residents, roughly 26.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,294 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (46.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Butler County

Butler County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • casey's 3331, el dorado
  • casey's 3758, douglass
  • casey's 4582, andover
  • casey's 3995, augusta
  • casey's general store 1810, el dorado
  • casey's general store 2963, rose hill
  • casey's general store 3454, andover
  • corner market 115 llc, andover
  • joe's kwik marts 4009, augusta
  • jump start 12, el dorado
  • jump start 14, andover
  • jump start 28, augusta
  • jump start stores inc 21, towanda
  • jump start, inc 8, el dorado
  • kwik shop 350717, andover
  • kwik shop 350795, benton
  • love's country store 176, matfield green
  • love's country store 177, el dorado
  • nusser fuels - potwin 123, potwin
  • quiktrip 310r, el dorado
  • sunny stop, el dorado

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • braums 094, andover
  • braums 209, el dorado
  • dollar general 18620, benton
  • dollartree 7175, el dorado
  • dollar general 11059, rose hill
  • dollar general 15427, andover
  • dollar general 23647, douglass
  • dollar general 24578, rose hill
  • dollar general 2463, el dorado
  • dollar general 7072, el dorado
  • dollar general 7075, augusta
  • dollar tree 7298, andover
  • dollar tree 7960, augusta
  • family dollar 7421, douglass
  • walgreens 05840, andover

Super Store · 5

  • dillon store 018, augusta
  • dillon store 029, el dorado
  • dillons stores 85, andover
  • walmart sc 0186, el dorado
  • walmart supercenter 346, augusta

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • walnut valley meat market, augusta
  • walnut valley meat market 4, andover
  • walnut valley packing, el dorado

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's take n bake pizza ks029, andover

Farmers' Market · 1

  • el dorado farmers and art market, el dorado

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kansas

Allen County
15.4% low-access · 9.3% SNAP
Anderson County
18.5% low-access · 5.2% SNAP
Atchison County
28.7% low-access · 10.9% SNAP
Barber County
11.5% low-access · 2.8% SNAP
Barton County
34.4% low-access · 7.0% SNAP
Bourbon County
27.5% low-access · 7.8% SNAP

Compare Butler County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Food access nationally, Kansas in context

Butler County sits inside Kansas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Butler County has low food access? ▼
26.9% of residents in Butler County, KS live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Butler County? ▼
6.5% of households in Butler County receive SNAP, covering 1,641 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Butler County? ▼
The poverty rate in Butler County, KS is 8.5%, with a median household income of $81,610 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Butler County a food desert? ▼
1 of Butler County's 13 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Butler County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Butler County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.