PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Cass County, MO

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

32.6%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
5.3%
on SNAP
111K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

32.6% of Cass County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

12
low-access tracts
8K
food-desert residents
3.9%
households, no vehicle
6.2%
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).

USDA data puts Cass County's low-access share at 32.6%, above the national share. 12 of the county's 20 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 32,431 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,442 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 Cass County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cass County's 32.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #773 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cass County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 20 census tracts in Cass 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 Cass County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 7 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 20 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (40.0%) 7 tracts limited (35.0%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 35% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Cass County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cass 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 Cass County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts20
Atlas Population (2010 basis)99,478
Low-Access Tracts12
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population32,431
Low-Access Share32.6%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,442

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cass County
IndicatorValue
Population110,773
Median Household Income$87,535
Poverty Rate6.2%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,299
SNAP Participation Rate5.3%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Cass County 5.3%

About 5.3% of Cass County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,299 households here.
  • 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 tracts 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 Cass County

above the national share

5 of Cass County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.

An estimated 32,431 residents, roughly 32.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,442 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cass County

Cass County has 76 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 38 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 38

  • bp archie, archie
  • bp food mart 8162774749, belton
  • bridge over troubled water, belton
  • casey's 1197, peculiar
  • casey's 1785, pleasant hill
  • casey's 2565, raymore
  • casey's 2615, raymore
  • casey's 2616, peculiar
  • casey's general store 3903, belton
  • casey's 1629, harrisonville
  • casey's 1961, harrisonville
  • casey's 2443, garden city
  • casey's 4543, archie
  • casey's general store 3486, harrisonville
  • caseys general store 1234, drexel
  • creighton food mart, creighton
  • ducky's 2, harrisonville
  • duckys, harrisonville
  • everyday, harrisonville
  • fast gas & snacks, belton
  • first stop enterprises llc, garden city
  • freedom stop, raymore
  • freeman market, freeman
  • goodstop by casey's 5153, pleasant hill
  • heartland market 1, raymore
  • hy-vee gas 5034, belton
  • love's travel stop 616, harrisonville
  • murphy usa 5782, harrisonville
  • phillips 66, belton
  • pilot travel center 672, peculiar
  • pleasant hill fast stop, pleasant hill
  • quiktrip 171, belton
  • quiktrip 233, belton
  • quiktrip 247, harrisonville
  • rush hour 2, belton
  • rush hour 6, pleasant hill
  • samra mart ii, pleasant hill
  • temp-stop 106, pleasant hill

Combination Grocery/Other · 24

  • cvs pharmacy 5661, belton
  • cvs pharmacy 8563, harrisonville
  • cvs pharmacy 8595, raymore
  • dollar general 18351, belton
  • dollar general 18650, freeman
  • dollar general 11669, garden city
  • dollar general 15699, drexel
  • dollar general 2102, belton
  • dollar general 21278, harrisonville
  • dollar general 24840, pleasant hill
  • dollar general 25259, cleveland
  • dollar general 25727, belton
  • dollar general 30233, peculiar
  • dollar general 4888, raymore
  • dollar general 4891, peculiar
  • dollar general 842, pleasant hill
  • dollar general 9467, harrisonville
  • dollar general store 17454, archie
  • dollar tree 3352, belton
  • dollar tree 7411, harrisonville
  • dollar tree 8257, pleasant hill
  • food fair of drexel llc 688, drexel
  • walgreens 11087, raymore
  • walgreens 12778, harrisonville

Supermarket · 7

  • aldi 46002, harrisonville
  • aldi 46055, belton
  • cosentino's price chopper 110, peculiar
  • cosentino's price chopper 250, pleasant hill
  • cosentino's price chopper 359, belton
  • cosentinos raymore price chopper 285, raymore
  • price chopper 37, harrisonville

Super Store · 5

  • hy-vee food store 1034, belton
  • sam's club 8243, raymore
  • target stores t- 1538, belton
  • walmart sc 319, raymore
  • walmart sc 96, harrisonville

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphy's harrisonville mo053, harrisonville
  • papa murphy's take n bake pizza mo-014, belton

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 Cass County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Cass 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 Cass County has low food access? ▼
32.6% of residents in Cass 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 Cass County? ▼
5.3% of households in Cass County receive SNAP, covering 2,299 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cass County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cass County, MO is 6.2%, with a median household income of $87,535 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cass County a food desert? ▼
5 of Cass County's 20 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 Cass County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.9% of households in Cass 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.