PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Cape Girardeau County, MO

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

30.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
9.8%
on SNAP
83K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

30.8% of Cape Girardeau County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
5.9%
households, no vehicle
13.9%
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 Cape Girardeau County's low-access share at 30.8%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 23,300 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,204 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 Cape Girardeau County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cape Girardeau County's 30.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #887 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cape Girardeau County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (56.3%) 6 tracts limited (37.5%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (6.3%) Adequate 56% Limited 38% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Cape Girardeau County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)75,674
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population23,300
Low-Access Share30.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,204

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cape Girardeau County
IndicatorValue
Population82,735
Median Household Income$68,464
Poverty Rate13.9%near the national average
SNAP Households3,166
SNAP Participation Rate9.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.4%
SNAP participation in Cape Girardeau County 9.8%

About 9.8% of Cape Girardeau County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,166 households here.
  • 5.9% 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 Cape Girardeau County

above the national share

1 of Cape Girardeau County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.3% 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 23,300 residents, roughly 30.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 7,204 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (56.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cape Girardeau County

Cape Girardeau County has 51 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 16 locations (31% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy 10256, cape girardeau
  • dollar general 1194, cape girardeau
  • dollar general 1218, jackson
  • dollar general 12886, jackson
  • dollar general 16278, cape girardeau
  • dollar general 16337, old appleton
  • dollar general 21760, jackson
  • dollar general 31008, jackson
  • dollar general 3305, cape girardeau
  • dollar general 517, cape girardeau
  • dollar general store 16828, jackson
  • dollar tree 6514, jackson
  • dollar tree 7123, cape girardeau
  • dollar tree 761, cape girardeau
  • family dollar 10606, cape girardeau
  • walgreens 3338, cape girardeau

Convenience Store · 15

  • cape mart convenience store, cape girardeau
  • casey's 2028, jackson
  • casey's 3324, jackson
  • casey's general store 2055, jackson
  • corner store, cape girardeau
  • depot city, cape girardeau
  • huck's 271, cape girardeau
  • jackson zx 160, jackson
  • murphy usa 7971, jackson
  • quick & save, cape girardeau
  • reliance 1024 1024, jackson
  • route k one stop minimart, cape girardeau
  • wink's 317, cape girardeau
  • winks 310, cape girardeau
  • winks 315, cape girardeau

Super Store · 8

  • harps food store 209, jackson
  • ruler 295, cape girardeau
  • sam's club 6479, cape girardeau
  • schnucks 702, cape girardeau
  • target stores t- 0992, cape girardeau
  • walmart neighborhood market 7072, cape girardeau
  • walmart sc 122, jackson
  • walmart sc 188, cape girardeau

Small Grocery Store · 4

  • dents make cents, jackson
  • monte blanco corp, cape girardeau
  • pacific rim market, cape girardeau
  • river hills grocery, altenburg

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 41079, jackson
  • aldi 41098, cape girardeau
  • food giant 545, cape girardeau
  • save a lot 24665, cape girardeau

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's mo015, cape girardeau

Farmers' Market · 1

  • cape riverfront market nafmnp, cape girardeau

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • natural health organic foods, cape girardeau

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • ron's meat shop, oak ridge

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 Cape Girardeau County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County has low food access? ▼
30.8% of residents in Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau County? ▼
9.8% of households in Cape Girardeau County receive SNAP, covering 3,166 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cape Girardeau County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cape Girardeau County, MO is 13.9%, with a median household income of $68,464 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cape Girardeau County a food desert? ▼
1 of Cape Girardeau County's 16 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 Cape Girardeau County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.9% of households in Cape Girardeau 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.