PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Cherokee County, OK

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

27.9%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
16.5%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

27.9% of Cherokee County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
6.9%
households, no vehicle
18.2%
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 Cherokee County's low-access share at 27.9%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,111 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,597 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 Cherokee County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cherokee County's 27.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,093 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cherokee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (22.2%) 5 tracts limited (55.6%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 22% Limited 56% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Cherokee County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cherokee County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Cherokee County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)46,987
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population13,111
Low-Access Share27.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,597

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cherokee County
IndicatorValue
Population47,942
Median Household Income$53,218
Poverty Rate18.2%above the national average
SNAP Households3,092
SNAP Participation Rate16.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Cherokee County 16.5%

About 16.5% of Cherokee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,092 households here.
  • 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Cherokee County

above the national share

2 of Cherokee County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 13,111 residents, roughly 27.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,597 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (22.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cherokee County

Cherokee County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • bear rocks, hulbert
  • caney ridge best stop, welling
  • clear creek trading post, hulbert
  • casey's 3411, tahlequah
  • casey's 3412, tahlequah
  • clear creek food mart, tahlequah
  • cowboys, peggs
  • dano's, tahlequah
  • e-z mart 4366, tahlequah
  • e-z mart 4369, tahlequah
  • e-z mart 4370, tahlequah
  • hit and run one stop, tahlequah
  • hulbert super stop, hulbert
  • jars country convenience store, welling
  • logstore norh, tahlequah
  • logstore south llc, tahlequah
  • love's travel stops & country stores inc 78, tahlequah
  • moody store inc., tahlequah
  • shafa enterprises inc 1, tahlequah
  • speedy grab and go, tahlequah
  • super mart stop n go, tahlequah
  • the oasis health food store inc, tahlequah
  • tnt grocery, tahlequah
  • the barn, park hill
  • x-press stop 2, tahlequah
  • x-press stop 3, tahlequah

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • braum's 150, tahlequah
  • braum's 313, tahlequah
  • dollar general 0547, tahlequah
  • dollar general 13886, park hill
  • dollar general 13903, tahlequah
  • dollar general 14068, peggs
  • dollar general 14283, tahlequah
  • dollar general 3041, tahlequah
  • dollar general 10035, cookson
  • dollar general 12899, hulbert
  • dollar general 15025, tahlequah
  • dollar general 19882, tahlequah
  • dollar general 21316, tahlequah
  • dollar general 31172, welling
  • dollar tree 2311, tahlequah
  • family dollar store 5387, tahlequah
  • virginia's chicken store, tahlequah
  • walgreens 10785, tahlequah

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • 1839 cherokee meat co., tahlequah
  • virginia's chicken store, tahlequah

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • parkers meat market, park hill
  • tinajeros meat market, tahlequah

Supermarket · 2

  • reasor's 902, tahlequah
  • save-a-lot 24894, tahlequah

Farmers' Market · 1

  • tahlequah farmer's market, tahlequah

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • cathy's jars, tahlequah

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • the barn at flintridge, park hill

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 10, tahlequah

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Cherokee County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Cherokee County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Cherokee County has low food access? ▼
27.9% of residents in Cherokee County, OK 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 Cherokee County? ▼
16.5% of households in Cherokee County receive SNAP, covering 3,092 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cherokee County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cherokee County, OK is 18.2%, with a median household income of $53,218 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cherokee County a food desert? ▼
2 of Cherokee County's 9 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 Cherokee County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.9% of households in Cherokee 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.