Signature · 30.8% low-access (72nd pct)
Clay County, KS
Clay County sits in the upper national band on low-access (30.8%, +8.7 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 30.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.2%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Clay County, KS
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 30.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +8.7 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Nemaha County ( -0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Clay County sits in the upper national band (30.8%, #884 of 3,079).
- #884
- national by low-access %
- #40
- in KS
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 713
- 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: 30.8% low-access (72nd pct) (+8.7 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Clay County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Clay County's 30.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #884 most-affected nationwide.
Clay County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Clay County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (1 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Clay County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Ellsworth 31.3
Ellsworth 31.3%
31.3 % low-access
- Clay 30.8
Clay 30.8%
30.8 % low-access
- Nemaha 30.6
Nemaha 30.6%
30.6 % low-access
- Stevens 30.5
Stevens 30.5%
30.5 % low-access
- Crawford 30.1
Crawford 30.1%
30.1 % low-access
- Jefferson 1.1
Jefferson 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 8,535 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,628 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.8%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 713 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,048 |
| Median Household Income | $66,176 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 252 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
SNAP retailers in Clay County
Clay County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 3 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 9 authorized stores; Clay Center holds 78% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Wakefield.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Clay Center | 7 | 2 |
| Wakefield | 2 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 14584, wakefield
- dollar general 2481, clay center
- family dollar 12782, clay center
Convenience Store · 3
- short stop 1, clay center
- short stop 22, clay center
- short stop 3, wakefield
Large Grocery Store · 1
- kiers thriftway, clay center
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- clay center locker, clay center
Super Store · 1
- rays apple market 441, clay center
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 Clay County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Kansas among West North Central states
Kansas ranks 4th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Clay County, at 30.8%, runs 4.4 pts above the Kansas rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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, KS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 20027. 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.