County food-access profile · Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish, LA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Calcasieu Parish 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).
- 34.1%
- low-access pop.
- 9
- food-desert tracts
- 15.7%
- on SNAP
- 207K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.1% of Calcasieu Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 9 of its 42 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 22
- low-access tracts
- 25K
- food-desert residents
- 7.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.4%
- 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 Calcasieu Parish's low-access share at 34.1%, above the national share. 22 of the county's 42 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 65,763 people. 9 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 25,120 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 Calcasieu Parish compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Calcasieu Parish's 34.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #662 most-affected nationwide.
Calcasieu Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 42 census tracts in Calcasieu Parish, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Calcasieu Parish vs. other Louisiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Louisiana
- Calcasieu Parish
Calcasieu Parish, LA
34.1 % low-access
- Acadia Parish 6.6
Acadia Parish, LA
6.6 % low-access
- Allen Parish
Allen Parish, LA
28.1 % low-access
- Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish, LA
42.3 % low-access
- Assumption Parish 0.9
Assumption Parish, LA
0.9 % low-access
- Avoyelles Parish
Avoyelles Parish, LA
20.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 42 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 192,768 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 22 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 9 |
| Low-Access Population | 65,763 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 25,120 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 207,088 |
| Median Household Income | $67,564 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 12,201 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 15.7% of Calcasieu Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 12,201 households here.
- 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 9 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 Calcasieu Parish
above the national share
9 of Calcasieu Parish's 42 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.4% of all its tracts.
A further 13 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 22.
An estimated 65,763 residents, roughly 34.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 25,120 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 20 tracts (47.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Calcasieu Parish
Calcasieu Parish has 228 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 112 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 112
- 7 eleven 41025h, lake charles
- 90 pointe, lake charles
- airport corner store, lake charles
- airport corner store #2, lake charles
- break time # 2, lake charles
- busy bee, lake charles
- busy bee #2, lake charles
- busybee 10, lake charles
- bux kajun korner, lake charles
- cal cam c-store, lake charles
- charlies shell, lake charles
- checkout #68, sulphur
- circle a sulphur, sulphur
- circle k 2707793, sulphur
- circle k 2709074, lake charles
- circle k 2709075, moss bluff
- circle k 2709086, westlake
- circle k 2740383, dequincy
- circle k stores inc. 2708344, lake charles
- city food & liquor, lake charles
- city point, lake charles
- country grocery & deli, sulphur
- deli2go, lake charles
- delta food & fuel, vinton
- delta food 7 exxon, lake charles
- delta food mart #5, lake charles
- dollar wise, lake charles
- e z mart 4296, vinton
- e z mart 4298, starks
- e-z mart 4415, sulphur
- ez shop, lake charles
- el paisano grocery llc, lake charles
- evan's corner store 5, lake charles
- express 27, sulphur
- express mart, iowa
- express mart 7, lake charles
- fast stop, lake charles
- gillis grocery & cafe, lake charles
- gas track, iowa
- grab n geaux, lake charles
- grab n geaux, lake charles
- grab n geaux 13, lake charles
- grab n geaux 14, lake charles
- grab n geaux 15, iowa
- grab n geaux 16, sulphur
- grab n geaux 17, lake charles
- grab n geaux 18, lake charles
- grab n geaux 19, lake charles
- grab n geaux 2, sulphur
- grab n geaux 28, lake charles
- grab n geaux 30, sulphur
- grab n geaux 31, lake charles
- grab n geaux 32, lake charles
- grab-n-geaux #10, sulphur
- grab-n-geaux #8, lake charles
- grab-n-geaux 6, sulphur
- grab-n-geaux 7, sulphur
- grab-n-geaux 9, lake charles
- hargrove quick stop, dequincy
- hayes grocery and baits, hayes
- jones grocery, lake charles
- kangaroo express 116, lake charles
- kings point i, lake charles
- kings point ii 1, westlake
- kings point iv, sulphur
- kings point v, sulphur
- la nica mini market llc, lake charles
- lake city food, lake charles
- love's travel stop 243, iowa
- love's travel stop 362, vinton
- manchester point, lake charles
- mcneese food mart 115, lake charles
- more 4 less #15, lake charles
- more 4 less 2, lake charles
- more4 less 10, lake charles
- murphy usa 5597, sulphur
- murphy usa 6897, lake charles
- murphy usa 7706, lake charles
- murphy usa 7869, lake charles
- napoleon food mart, sulphur
- octane, lake charles
- opelousas exxon food mart, lake charles
- parkside convenient none, lake charles
- pelico farms, lake charles
- pelico farms #1, westlake
- perkins ferry c-store, lake charles
- pilot travel center 1051, iowa
- pump n shop 50 50, lake charles
- quick check, lake charles
- quick mart neighborhood food store, lake charles
- raceway 6946, lake charles
- refuel on the go, lake charles
- rudy's corner store, westlake
- s cities service hwy sulphur, sulphur
- save go, lake charles
- smart stop, sulphur
- step in 11, sulphur
- stop & save, lake charles
- stop time, lake charles
- super saver, westlake
- super stop #25, dequincy
- tank farm c store, lake charles
- tiger mart #12, vinton
- tiger speedy stop, dequincy
- time loop #21, dequincy
- time loop 13, lake charles
- time loop 19, lake charles
- timeloop #27, lake charles
- timeloop 29, lake charles
- timeloop 29, lake charles
- torstop, sulphur
- upkait, lake charles
Combination Grocery/Other · 69
- cvs pharmacy inc 266, lake charles
- cvs/ pharmacy 5612, sulphur
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 1099, lake charles
- cvs/pharmacy 5455, moss bluff
- dollar general 10317, sulphur
- dollar general 13862, lake charles
- dollar general 18714, iowa
- dollar general 22886, lake charles
- dollar general 22888, moss bluff
- dollar general 22892, lake charles
- dollar general 22986, lake charles
- dollar general 22987, dequincy
- dollar general 23145, lake charles
- dollar general 4405, lake charles
- dollar general 6117, sulphur
- dollar general 7528, vinton
- dollar general 8598, lake charles
- dollar general 8614, lake charles
- dollar general 8646, lake charles
- dollar general 8694, sulphur
- dollar general 8776, lake charles
- dollar general 9340, moss bluff
- dollar general 9397, sulphur
- dollar general 9438, westlake
- dollar general 9536, starks
- dollar tree 2833, sulphur
- dollartree 8033, westlake
- dollartree plus 9082, lake charles
- dollar general 0760, iowa
- dollar general 12469, lake charles
- dollar general 13099, iowa
- dollar general 13528, lake charles
- dollar general 15788, lake charles
- dollar general 15811, lake charles
- dollar general 20369, hayes
- dollar general 21274, dequincy
- dollar general 21415, sulphur
- dollar general 22334, lake charles
- dollar general 22653, lake charles
- dollar general 22887, westlake
- dollar general 22891, sulphur
- dollar general 22893, sulphur
- dollar general 23714, lake charles
- dollar general 25042, lake charles
- dollar general 30859, lake charles
- dollar general 31299, lake charles
- dollar general 31300, vinton
- dollar tree 1591, lake charles
- dollar tree 2537, lake charles
- dollar tree 7005, lake charles
- dollar tree 7592, sulphur
- dollar tree 8348, lake charles
- family dollar 13783, lake charles
- family dollar 4494, iowa
- family dollar 4828, lake charles
- family dollar 5089, sulphur
- family dollar 5483, lake charles
- family dollar 5645, lake charles
- family dollar 799, dequincy
- family dollar 8185, vinton
- sonniers sausage & boudin, lake charles
- walgreens 06219, lake charles
- walgreens 06577, lake charles
- walgreens 10508, lake charles
- walgreens 10509, sulphur
- walgreens 2920, sulphur
- walgreens 2997, lake charles
- wing tai oriental grocery, lake charles
- walgreens 07197, moss bluff
Super Store · 17
- big lots 5470, lake charles
- brookshire brothers 31, dequincy
- brookshire brothers 47, sulphur
- brookshire brothers express 60, lake charles
- kroger 747, sulphur
- kroger 394, lake charles
- rouses market 71, sulphur
- rouses market 72, lake charles
- rouses market 80, lake charles
- sam's club 8265, lake charles
- target store t 1399, lake charles
- walmart 469, lake charles
- walmart 521, lake charles
- walmart neighborhood market 6583, lake charles
- walmart neighborhood market 6590, lake charles
- walmart supercenter 1204, lake charles
- walmart supercenter 331, sulphur
Supermarket · 13
- albertsons 0717, lake charles
- albertsons 2798, lake charles
- misse's grocery inc, sulphur
- market basket 05, lake charles
- market basket 18, lake charles
- market basket 25, lake charles
- market basket 26, vinton
- market basket 27, lake charles
- market basket 36, lake charles
- market basket 37, iowa
- market basket 39, westlake
- market basket 41, sulphur
- spring market 704, iowa
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 6
- gillis meat market, lake charles
- hebert's specalty meats 2, lake charles
- hebert's specialty meats, lake charles
- lake charles poultry, lake charles
- s&m meats, llc, sulphur
- smitty's food store, lake charles
Small Grocery Store · 4
- homsi's tobacco & beer, lake charles
- la azteca latin grocery, lake charles
- latin grocery store, lake charles
- oasis cash & carry, lake charles
Seafood Specialty · 3
- galleys seafood llc, lake charles
- j.t.'s seafood, lake charles
- tommie's fish market, lake charles
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- friends food mart, lake charles
- sabor latino supermercado, lake charles
Delivery Route · 1
- moore seafood, lake charles
Farmers' Market · 1
- iowa farmer's market, iowa
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Louisiana
Compare Calcasieu Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →
Food access nationally, Louisiana in context
Calcasieu Parish sits inside Louisiana (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 Calcasieu Parish has low food access? ▼
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Is Calcasieu Parish a food desert? ▼
What share of Calcasieu Parish 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.