Signature · 54 SNAP-authorized stores

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

USDA FARA access plate

County Cherokee County, OK

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-ELEVATED 27.9% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +5.8 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 16.5% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.9% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 22% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Comanche County (+ 0.0 pts)

The food-access picture

According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Cherokee County ranks #1,085 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #32 of 77 counties in OK (27.9% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).

#1,085
national by low-access %
#32
in OK
7
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents

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).

Signature read: 54 SNAP-authorized stores .

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

9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.

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

By USDA urbanicity classification, Cherokee County has 3 urban and 6 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 low-access neighbourhood

Poles + nearest peers in Oklahoma, not a full county-board reprint

% 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%

Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Oklahoma

One of 76 counties in Oklahoma, 6 are shown here.

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

Nationwide peers for Cherokee County's low-access or SNAP share

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Cherokee County, both outside Oklahoma so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside OK (27.9% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside OK (16.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Cherokee County sits inside Oklahoma (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, OK are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 40021. 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.