PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Callaway County, MO

Callaway County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

19.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.7%
on SNAP
45K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

19.6% of Callaway County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
11.6%
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).

Callaway County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.6% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,702 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,466 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 Callaway County compares nationally

Callaway County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.6% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,715).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Callaway County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Callaway 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 Callaway County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (37.5%) 4 tracts limited (50.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 38% Limited 50% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Callaway County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Callaway County vs. other Missouri counties

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

% 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 Callaway County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)44,332
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,702
Low-Access Share19.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,466

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Callaway County
IndicatorValue
Population44,741
Median Household Income$74,176
Poverty Rate11.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,441
SNAP Participation Rate8.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.0%
SNAP participation in Callaway County 8.7%

About 8.7% of Callaway County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,441 households here.
  • 5.7% 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 Callaway County

near the national share

1 of Callaway County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,702 residents, roughly 19.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,466 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Callaway County

Callaway County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • break time 3173, fulton
  • break time convenience 3032, fulton
  • break time convenience 3042, holts summit
  • break time convenience 3132, fulton
  • casey's 1725, fulton
  • casey's 2086, fulton
  • casey's general store 2805, auxvasse
  • casey's general store 3626, holts summit
  • fastlane crossroads 49, kingdon city
  • fastlane fulton 52, fulton
  • fastlane fulton hwy f 64, fulton
  • fastlane gaspers 51, kingdom city
  • fastlane holts summit 66, holts summit
  • fastlane mcstop 53, kingdom city
  • js investment llc, fulton
  • kwik run, holts summit
  • midwest petroleum 97, fulton
  • petro kingdom city 318, kingdom city
  • rocket 4245, kingdom city
  • show-me oil quick shop, auxvasse
  • yesway 1135, kingdom city

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • cvs/pharmacy 11315, fulton
  • dollar general 1215, holts summit
  • dollar general 16182, new bloomfield
  • dollar general 20500, mokane
  • dollar general 20603, fulton
  • dollar general 23470, fulton
  • dollar general 4993, fulton
  • dollar tree 2070, fulton
  • family dollar 3092, fulton
  • walgreens 10907, fulton

Super Store · 3

  • moser's foods - m1, fulton
  • moser's foods - m2, holts summit
  • walmart sc 51, fulton

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 41103, fulton
  • fulton 685, fulton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Missouri

Adair County
27.3% low-access · 9.0% SNAP
Andrew County
15.8% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Atchison County
5.1% low-access · 5.8% SNAP
Audrain County
22.6% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Barry County
19.7% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Barton County
56.5% low-access · 18.5% SNAP

Compare Callaway County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Callaway County sits inside Missouri (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 Callaway County has low food access? ▼
19.6% of residents in Callaway County, MO 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 Callaway County? ▼
8.7% of households in Callaway County receive SNAP, covering 1,441 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Callaway County? ▼
The poverty rate in Callaway County, MO is 11.6%, with a median household income of $74,176 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Callaway County a food desert? ▼
1 of Callaway County's 8 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 Callaway County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Callaway 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.