Signature · 3 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Cherokee County, KS
Cherokee County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 46.4% low-access.
- 46.4%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cherokee County, KS
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 46.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +24.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Leavenworth County ( -0.6 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Cherokee County sits in the upper national band (46.4%, #256 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #256
- national by low-access %
- #12
- in KS
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Cherokee County compares nationally
Cherokee County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 46.4% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #256 most-affected nationwide.
Cherokee County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Cherokee County has 4 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Cherokee County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Greenwood
Greenwood 48.5%
48.5 % low-access
- Franklin
Franklin 47.2%
47.2 % low-access
- Cherokee
Cherokee 46.4%
46.4 % low-access
- Leavenworth
Leavenworth 45.8%
45.8 % low-access
- Gray
Gray 45.5%
45.5 % low-access
- Jefferson 1.1
Jefferson 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,603 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,030 |
| Low-Access Share | 46.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,873 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,151 |
| Median Household Income | $57,668 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,035 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Cherokee County
Cherokee County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 9
- casey's 3800, galena
- casey's general store 1928, columbus
- casey's general store 2946, baxter springs
- fast mart, columbus
- galaxy food mart 1, columbus
- galaxy food mart 2, weir
- nelsons old riverton store, riverton
- petes 45, baxter springs
- scammon express & deli 2, scammon
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 0883, columbus
- dollar general 20670, riverton
- dollar general 2667, baxter springs
- dollar general 3294, galena
- family dollar 12675, baxter springs
- family dollar 12960, columbus
- family dollar 13387, galena
Farmers' Market · 1
- columbus farmers market nafmnp, columbus
Large Grocery Store · 1
- apple market 2733, columbus
Super Store · 1
- harps food store 502, baxter springs
Supermarket · 1
- king cash saver 41, baxter springs
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kansas
One of 104 counties in Kansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Cherokee County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Counties near Cherokee County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Cherokee County, both outside Kansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KS (46.4% here).
- Hampshire County, MA · 46.5% low-access
- Richland County, SC · 46.5% low-access
- Juab County, UT · 46.5% low-access
- Citrus County, FL · 46.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KS (13.1% here).
- Edmonson County, KY · 13.1% SNAP
- Edmonson County, KY · 13.1% SNAP
- De Witt County, IL · 13.1% SNAP
- De Witt County, IL · 13.1% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Cherokee County inside a higher low-access state context
Cherokee County sits inside Kansas (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Cherokee County, KS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 20021. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.