County food-access profile · Arkansas
Cleburne County, AR
Cleburne 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.
- 17.4%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.6%
- on SNAP
- 25K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.4% of Cleburne County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.9%
- 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).
Cleburne County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,523 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Cleburne County compares nationally
Cleburne County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.4% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,917).
Cleburne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Cleburne County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cleburne County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Cleburne 17.4
Cleburne County, AR
17.4 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 25,970 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,523 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,719 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,226 |
| Median Household Income | $55,798 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 903 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 8.6% of Cleburne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 903 households here.
- 5.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $55,798 with a 13.9% poverty rate.
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 Cleburne County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 4,523 residents, roughly 17.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,719 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cleburne County
Cleburne County has 25 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 12 locations (48% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- dollar general 0516, heber springs
- dollar general 14374, heber springs
- dollar general 29, higden
- dollar general 7238, quitman
- dollar general 11801, drasco
- dollar general 12926, heber springs
- dollar general 23034, concord
- dollar general 24173, higden
- dollar general 25470, tumbling shoals
- dollar general 30048, higden
- dollar tree 5372, heber springs
- family dollar 13314, higden
Convenience Store · 9
- captains food mart 38, quitman
- casey's general store 3693, heber springs
- circle k store 2709959, heber springs
- doublebees 120, quitman
- e-z mart 4314, heber springs
- flash market concord 410, concord
- murphy usa 6803, heber springs
- tri-oaks, higden
- west side quik mart, heber springs
Super Store · 2
- harps food store 163, heber springs
- walmart supercenter 281, heber springs
Large Grocery Store · 1
- cash saver, heber springs
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- the family market, higden
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Cleburne County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Cleburne County sits inside Arkansas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Cleburne County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cleburne County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cleburne County? ▼
Is Cleburne County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cleburne County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.