PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Camden County, MO

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

20.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.2%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

20.5% of Camden County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
2.8%
households, no vehicle
12.6%
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).

USDA data puts Camden County's low-access share at 20.5%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,008 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,718 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 Camden County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Camden County's 20.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,645 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Camden County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Camden 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 Camden County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (63.6%) 3 tracts limited (27.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 64% Limited 27% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Camden County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Camden 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 Camden County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)44,002
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population9,008
Low-Access Share20.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,718

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Camden County
IndicatorValue
Population43,667
Median Household Income$66,387
Poverty Rate12.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,469
SNAP Participation Rate8.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Camden County 8.2%

About 8.2% of Camden County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,469 households here.
  • 2.8% 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 Camden County

above the national share

1 of Camden County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 9,008 residents, roughly 20.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,718 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (63.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Camden County

Camden County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • 4 seasons convenience store and cafe, lake ozark
  • 7 express, climax springs
  • ballentine 5-81 one stop, camdenton
  • ballentine 5-81 one stop llc, camdenton
  • bates grocery, macks creek
  • camdenton eagle stop 21, camdenton
  • casey's 1097, camdenton
  • casey's 1370, camdenton
  • casey's 2593, osage beach
  • casey's general store 2180, camdenton
  • casey's general store 3461, osage beach
  • casey's general store 3951, lake ozark
  • express mart sunrise beach 5015, sunrise beach
  • jiffy stop food mart 597, camdenton
  • just a little store, montreal
  • kk eagle stop 14, osage beach
  • lakers eagle stop 18, camdenton
  • mj's mini mart, camdenton
  • murphy express 8545, osage beach
  • parkway eagle stop 29, osage beach
  • quietside quick shop, roach
  • rapid roberts 117, osage beach
  • signal 106, camdenton
  • y rd general store, linn creek

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • butcher shop express llc, camdenton
  • cvs pharmacy 4080, lake ozark
  • coral reef seafood llc, osage beach
  • dollartree 8575, camdenton
  • dollar general 14841, sunrise beach
  • dollar general 17357, climax springs
  • dollar general 19749, osage beach
  • dollar general 21405, camdenton
  • dollar general 2611, camdenton
  • dollar general 9089, camdenton
  • dollar tree 5809, osage beach
  • vernetti's italian grocer, camdenton
  • walgreens 01142, osage beach

Super Store · 7

  • dierbergs lakeview 25, osage beach
  • gerbes 119, camdenton
  • save-a-lot 23178, camdenton
  • target stores t- 1914, lake ozark
  • walmart sc 815, osage beach
  • walmart sc 89, camdenton
  • woods supermarket 2477, sunrise beach

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 41072, lake ozark
  • woods supermarket 2066, lake ozark

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • farris fruit market llc, camdenton

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • toms slaughter house, montreal

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 Camden County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Camden 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 Camden County has low food access? ▼
20.5% of residents in Camden 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 Camden County? ▼
8.2% of households in Camden County receive SNAP, covering 1,469 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Camden County? ▼
The poverty rate in Camden County, MO is 12.6%, with a median household income of $66,387 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Camden County a food desert? ▼
1 of Camden County's 11 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 Camden County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.8% of households in Camden 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.