PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Christian County, MO

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

21.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.4%
on SNAP
93K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

21.5% of Christian County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
3.0%
households, no vehicle
8.2%
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 Christian County's low-access share at 21.5%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 16,679 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,299 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 Christian County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Christian County's 21.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,567 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Christian County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Christian 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 Christian County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (57.1%) 5 tracts limited (35.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.1%) Adequate 57% Limited 36% Severe 7% Food-access tier distribution: Christian County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Christian 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 Christian County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)77,422
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population16,679
Low-Access Share21.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,299

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Christian County
IndicatorValue
Population92,915
Median Household Income$83,437
Poverty Rate8.2%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,235
SNAP Participation Rate6.4%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.7%
SNAP participation in Christian County 6.4%

About 6.4% of Christian County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,235 households here.
  • 3.0% 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 Christian County

above the national share

1 of Christian County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.1% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 16,679 residents, roughly 21.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,299 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Christian County

Christian County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 28 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 28

  • barnyard feed and more, oldfield
  • casey's 1383, sparta
  • casey's 2856, nixa
  • casey's 3400, billings
  • casey's 3443, nixa
  • casey's 3448, ozark
  • casey's general store 2619, nixa
  • casey's general store 2631, nixa
  • casey's general store 2685, nixa
  • casey's general store 2800, clever
  • casey's general store 2901, ozark
  • casey's general store 3014, ozark
  • casey's general store 3017, sparta
  • clever mart, clever
  • joji quick stop, highlandville
  • joji quick stop, nixa
  • king discount cigarettes & tobacco, nixa
  • maverik 5182, nixa
  • maverik 5296, ozark
  • maverik 5297, ozark
  • maverik 5315, ozark
  • murphy usa 7834, nixa
  • rapid roberts 103, nixa
  • rapid roberts 115, ozark
  • rapid roberts 128, nixa
  • signal food store 112, ozark
  • spokane super stop 0, spokane
  • zippy mart / conoco, galena

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • braums 276, nixa
  • braums 285, ozark
  • cvs 10118, nixa
  • dollar general 14517, billings
  • dollartree 8915, nixa
  • dollartree 9953, clever
  • dollar general 11140, nixa
  • dollar general 11971, clever
  • dollar general 13441, highlandville
  • dollar general 14928, nixa
  • dollar general 1768, nixa
  • dollar general 23309, bruner
  • dollar general 30335, nixa
  • dollar general 3974, ozark
  • dollar general 7719, sparta
  • dollar general store 13617, ozark
  • dollar tree 2787, ozark
  • family dollar 13786, sparta
  • walgreens 05289, nixa
  • walgreens 09929, ozark

Supermarket · 8

  • aldi 46116, ozark
  • aldi 36, nixa
  • apple market 2626, clever
  • apple market 2632, ozark
  • king cash saver 6, ozark
  • price cutter plus 4, ozark
  • price cutter plus 55, nixa
  • town & country 2452, sparta

Super Store · 3

  • harter house nixa llc dba harter house supermarket, nixa
  • walmart sc 2702, nixa
  • walmart sc 379, ozark

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphys mo-029, ozark
  • papa murphys take n bake pizza mo-040, nixa

Farmers' Market · 1

  • ozark downtown farmers market, ozark

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • christian county discount freight & grocery, ozark

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • oldfield packing, oldfield

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 Christian County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Christian 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 Christian County has low food access? ▼
21.5% of residents in Christian 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 Christian County? ▼
6.4% of households in Christian County receive SNAP, covering 2,235 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Christian County? ▼
The poverty rate in Christian County, MO is 8.2%, with a median household income of $83,437 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Christian County a food desert? ▼
1 of Christian County's 14 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 Christian County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.0% of households in Christian 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.