PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Cooper County, MO

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

31.3%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
6.7%
on SNAP
17K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

31.3% of Cooper 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
4.6%
households, no vehicle
11.7%
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 Cooper County's low-access share at 31.3%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 5,509 people. 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 Cooper County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cooper County's 31.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #864 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cooper County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 census tracts in Cooper 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 Cooper County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (40.0%) 3 tracts limited (60.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 60% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Cooper County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cooper 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 Cooper County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)17,601
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population5,509
Low-Access Share31.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,763

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cooper County
IndicatorValue
Population16,824
Median Household Income$70,625
Poverty Rate11.7%below the national average
SNAP Households420
SNAP Participation Rate6.7%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.6%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population7.5%
SNAP participation in Cooper County 6.7%

About 6.7% of Cooper County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 31.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 420 households here.
  • 4.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $70,625 with a 11.7% 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 Cooper County

above 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 5,509 residents, roughly 31.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,763 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cooper County

Cooper County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (65% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 13

  • 135 eagle stop 41, boonville
  • 87 eagle stop 26, boonville
  • boonville eagle stop 19, boonville
  • break time convenience 3156, boonville
  • casey's 3281, boonville
  • casey's 1344, pilot grove
  • casey's general store 3488, boonville
  • loves travel stop 347, boonville
  • luckys eagle stop 69, boonville
  • mini mart, otterville
  • murphy usa 7471, boonville
  • pilot travel center 44, boonville
  • quiktrip 284, boonville

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 18471, pilot grove
  • dollar general 17593, prairie home
  • dollar general 1868, boonville
  • dollar general 30348, otterville
  • dollar tree 5971, boonville

Super Store · 1

  • walmart sc 820, boonville

Supermarket · 1

  • boonville 38, boonville

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 Cooper County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Cooper 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 Cooper County has low food access? ▼
31.3% of residents in Cooper 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 Cooper County? ▼
6.7% of households in Cooper County receive SNAP, covering 420 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cooper County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cooper County, MO is 11.7%, with a median household income of $70,625 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cooper County a food desert? ▼
0 of Cooper County's 5 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Cooper County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.6% of households in Cooper 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.