Signature · 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Conway County, AR
Conway County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 22.1% low-access.
- 22.1%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.6%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Conway County, AR
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 22.1% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.6% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Cleveland County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Conway County ranks #1,520 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #47 of 75 counties in AR (22.1% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,520
- national by low-access %
- #47
- in AR
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Conway County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Conway County's 22.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,520 most-affected nationwide.
Conway County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Conway County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Conway County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Crittenden 22.5
Crittenden 22.5%
22.5 % low-access
- Conway 22.1
Conway 22.1%
22.1 % low-access
- Cleveland 22.1
Cleveland 22.1%
22.1 % low-access
- Ashley 21.8
Ashley 21.8%
21.8 % low-access
- Craighead 21.3
Craighead 21.3%
21.3 % 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) | 21,273 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,706 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.1%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,074 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,054 |
| Median Household Income | $54,187 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,122 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.8%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
SNAP retailers in Conway County
Conway County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
8 towns share the 19 authorized stores; Morrilton holds 53% of them. 7 of the 8 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Center Ridge, Plumerville, Atkins, Hattieville, Jerusalem, Morrillton and 1 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Morrilton | 10 | 2 |
| Center Ridge | 2 | none |
| Plumerville | 2 | none |
| Atkins | 1 | none |
| Hattieville | 1 | none |
| Jerusalem | 1 | none |
| Morrillton | 1 | none |
| Oppelo | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- casey's 3881, morrilton
- center ridge grocery, center ridge
- circle h store inc, jerusalem
- homerun mart, morrilton
- loves travel stops & country store 267, morrillton
- murphy usa 6813, morrilton
- nisha one stop llc, morrilton
- plumerville exxon llc 1, plumerville
- ta express atkins ta atkins, atkins
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 14516, plumerville
- dollar general 14862, morrilton
- dollar general 15041, center ridge
- dollar general 15756, oppelo
- dollar general 18286, morrilton
- dollar general 21129, hattieville
- dollar tree 7558, morrilton
Super Store · 2
- harps food store 353, morrilton
- walmart 8, morrilton
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mcneal farms premium beef, morrilton
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 Conway County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Nationwide peers for Conway County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Conway County, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AR (22.1% here).
- Orange County, FL · 22.1% low-access
- Dallas County, IA · 22.1% low-access
- Union County, IA · 22.1% low-access
- Douglas County, KS · 22.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AR (13.6% here).
- Newton County, GA · 13.6% SNAP
- Kennebec County, ME · 13.6% SNAP
- Bay County, MI · 13.6% SNAP
- Ionia County, MI · 13.6% 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.
Arkansas among West South Central states
Arkansas ranks 4th of 4 West South Central states by population-weighted low-access (24.9%). Conway County, at 22.1%, runs 2.8 pts below the Arkansas rate.
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 Conway County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05029. 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.