County food-access profile · Oklahoma
Carter County, OK
Carter 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.
- 18.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 16.2%
- on SNAP
- 49K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.1% of Carter County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.2%
- 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).
Carter County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.1% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,593 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,632 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
Carter County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.1% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,854).
Carter County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 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).
Carter County vs. other Oklahoma counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oklahoma
- Carter 18.1
Carter County, OK
18.1 % low-access
- Adair 9.7
Adair County, OK
9.7 % low-access
- Alfalfa
Alfalfa County, OK
58.5 % low-access
- Atoka
Atoka County, OK
34.7 % low-access
- Beaver
Beaver County, OK
38.2 % low-access
- Beckham
Beckham County, OK
26.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 47,557 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,593 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,632 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 48,555 |
| Median Household Income | $60,723 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,090 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 16.2% of Carter County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,090 households here.
- 4.8% 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 Carter County
near the national share
1 of Carter 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 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 8,593 residents, roughly 18.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,632 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (54.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Carter County
Carter County has 76 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 39 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 39
- ace fuel stop 1, ardmore
- allsup's 102484, ardmore
- ardmart grocery & deli, ardmore
- big apple #1, ardmore
- budget mart, wilson
- carter express, ardmore
- casey's 4051, ardmore
- dickson one stop, ardmore
- e-z food shop, ardmore
- ez corner mart 1, ardmore
- ez shop 1, ardmore
- g & d global corp, ardmore
- jrs corner, ardmore
- lake murray lake stop, ardmore
- larry's country corner one, ardmore
- lasley's one stop, ardmore
- long horn express 1, ardmore
- love's travel stops & country stores inc 54, ardmore
- loves travel stops & country store 266, ardmore
- lucky travel, ardmore
- lucky's food mart, lone grove
- mmr petroleum 9012682494, springer
- murphy express 8716, ardmore
- norman's country store & grill, ardmore
- ok one stop, ardmore
- okie's corner, overbrook
- okies one stop, healdton
- on the way # 2, ardmore
- pilot travel center 701, ardmore
- quick & save, healdton
- rockford c mart, ardmore
- royal fuel stop, ardmore
- springer food mart 9729004036, springer
- stick's stop & shop, lone grove
- tiger fuel stop, ardmore
- tims grocery store a, ardmore
- united fuel stop, lone grove
- wilson express, wilson
- wilson texaco, wilson
Combination Grocery/Other · 26
- braum's 270, ardmore
- braum's 48, ardmore
- cvs/pharmacy inc 6222, ardmore
- dollar general 0252, healdton
- dollar general 10979, ardmore
- dollar general 14445, ardmore
- dollar general 2223, ardmore
- dollar general 3506, ardmore
- dollar general 3999, lone grove
- dollar general 8057, ardmore
- dollar general 12386, wilson
- dollar general 16514, ratliff city
- dollar general 20336, ardmore
- dollar general 23533, ardmore
- dollar general 23764, ardmore
- dollar general store 16400, ringling
- dollar tree 3587, ardmore
- family dollar 12956, ardmore
- family dollar 13211, ringling
- family dollar store 1651, ardmore
- family dollar store 4279, ardmore
- family dollar store 5482, ardmore
- family dollar store 7354, lone grove
- family dollar store 7388, healdton
- heartland food dairy & janitorial, ardmore
- walgreens 05739, ardmore
Supermarket · 5
- albertsons 0031, ardmore
- aldi 75021, ardmore
- delbert's supermarket 3, healdton
- homeland 169, ardmore
- save-a-lot #21624, ardmore
Large Grocery Store · 3
- farmers market, ardmore
- farmers market no 2, lone grove
- super c mart 6, wilson
Farmers' Market · 1
- dogwood blooms mercantile, ardmore
Small Grocery Store · 1
- prime cuts carniceria, ardmore
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter #129 0129, ardmore
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Oklahoma
Compare Carter County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →
Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context
Carter County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Carter County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Carter County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Carter County? ▼
Is Carter County a food desert? ▼
What share of Carter County 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.