Signature · 10.1% SNAP (27th pct in AR)
Clay County, AR
Clay County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 16.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 10.1%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Clay County, AR
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 16.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.0 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Logan County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Clay County ranks #2,018 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #63 of 75 counties in AR (16.1% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #2,018
- national by low-access %
- #63
- in AR
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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: 10.1% SNAP (27th pct in AR) (-2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Clay County compares nationally
Clay County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.1% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,023).
Clay County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Clay County has 2 urban and 4 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.
Clay County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter 16.4%
16.4 % low-access
- Carroll 16.4
Carroll 16.4%
16.4 % low-access
- Logan 16.2
Logan 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- Randolph 16.2
Randolph 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- Clay 16.1
Clay 16.1%
16.1 % low-access
- Izard 0.9
Izard 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,083 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,585 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,142 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 14,280 |
| Median Household Income | $51,481 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 607 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.1%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
SNAP retailers in Clay County
Clay County has 13 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 6
- casey's 3271, piggott
- captains food mart 7, corning
- caseys general store 3581, corning
- flash market 17171, rector
- mohawk mini mart, piggott
- young's auction and resale, corning
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 1061, corning
- dollar general 3829, rector
- dollar general 24297, pollard
- dollar general 3697, piggott
Super Store · 3
- 10 box cost-plus 286, corning
- harps food store 198, rector
- harps food store 495, piggott
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Arkansas
One of 74 counties in Arkansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Clay County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Nationwide peers for Clay County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Clay County (10.1%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Arkansas.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AR (16.1% here).
- Noxubee County, MS · 16.1% low-access
- Noxubee County, MS · 16.1% low-access
- Pettis County, MO · 16.1% low-access
- Pettis County, MO · 16.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AR (10.1% here).
- Harris County, GA · 10.1% SNAP
- Harris County, GA · 10.1% SNAP
- Will County, IL · 10.1% SNAP
- Will County, IL · 10.1% 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.
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Clay County sits inside Arkansas (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 Clay County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05021. 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.