PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Carter County, KY

Most of Carter County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

7.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
19.6%
on SNAP
26K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

7.8% of Carter County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
8.3%
households, no vehicle
19.2%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Carter County fares better than most: just 7.8% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 7 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,173 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,038 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 Carter County compares nationally

Food access in Carter County compares favorably nationally: its 7.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 15% of them (rank #2,662).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Carter County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Carter 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 Carter County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (85.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 86% Limited 0% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Carter County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Carter County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 Carter County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)27,720
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,173
Low-Access Share7.8%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,038

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Carter County
IndicatorValue
Population26,341
Median Household Income$51,235
Poverty Rate19.2%above the national average
SNAP Households2,118
SNAP Participation Rate19.6%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.3%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.2%
SNAP participation in Carter County 19.6%

About 19.6% of Carter County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 7.8% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,118 households here.
  • 8.3% 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 Carter County

below the national share

1 of Carter County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,173 residents, roughly 7.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,038 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (85.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Carter County

Carter County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • 156 fuel mart, olive hill
  • buffalo market, grayson
  • carter mart, grayson
  • clark's pump-n-shop 52, grayson
  • clark's pump-n-shop 75, rush
  • clarks pump n shop 56, olive hill
  • jng mart llc, grayson
  • kash stop 11, olive hill
  • lake tiger mart 15, grayson
  • lakeway express, grayson
  • love's travel stop 418, grayson
  • omm llc - bhagavati inc, olive hill
  • olive hill bp 761, olive hill
  • param oil inc dba hitchins foodmart, grayson
  • quality mart, grayson
  • quality mart #2, grayson
  • speedway 9510, grayson
  • speedway 9673, olive hill
  • super quik food store 008, grayson
  • t & t outdoors, grayson
  • upper tygart mini mart & deli llc, olive hill
  • zip zone express 8, grayson

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • dollar general 0256, olive hill
  • dollar general 10557, grayson
  • dollar general 18843, hitchins
  • dollar general 20190, rush
  • dollar general 23053, olive hill
  • dollar general 23257, olive hill
  • dollar general 23346, grayson
  • dollar general 23415, olive hill
  • dollar general 24187, grayson
  • dollar general 4060, grayson
  • dollar tree 381, grayson
  • family dollar 12381, willard
  • family dollar store 693, olive hill
  • family dollar store 804, grayson
  • walgreens 19971, grayson

Supermarket · 2

  • houchens save a lot 242, grayson
  • save a lot olive hill 24863, olive hill

Super Store · 1

  • ralph's food fair, grayson

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Carter County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Carter County sits inside Kentucky (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 Carter County has low food access? ▼
7.8% of residents in Carter County, KY 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 Carter County? ▼
19.6% of households in Carter County receive SNAP, covering 2,118 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Carter County? ▼
The poverty rate in Carter County, KY is 19.2%, with a median household income of $51,235 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Carter County a food desert? ▼
1 of Carter County's 7 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 Carter County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.3% of households in Carter 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.