County food-access profile · Kansas
Cowley County, KS
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cowley 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).
- 28.5%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 11.6%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.5% of Cowley County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 7.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.3%
- 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 Cowley County's low-access share at 28.5%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,347 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,473 low-income residents.
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 Cowley County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cowley County's 28.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,050 most-affected nationwide.
Cowley County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Cowley County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cowley County vs. other Kansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kansas
- Cowley
Cowley County, KS
28.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KS
15.4 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, KS
18.5 % low-access
- Atchison
Atchison County, KS
28.7 % low-access
- Barber 11.5
Barber County, KS
11.5 % low-access
- Barton
Barton County, KS
34.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,311 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,347 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,473 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,411 |
| Median Household Income | $57,878 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,556 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.6%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.4% |
About 11.6% of Cowley County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,556 households here.
- 7.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).
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 Cowley County
above the national share
3 of Cowley County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.
An estimated 10,347 residents, roughly 28.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,473 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (36.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cowley County
Cowley County has 28 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 11
- casey's 3340, arkansas city
- casey's 3435, arkansas city
- casey's general store 1789, arkansas city
- casey's general store 1822, winfield
- food mart, winfield
- jumpstart, winfield
- jumpstart 1 2, winfield
- loves country store 97, arkansas city
- u pump it 221, udall
- u pump it 222, burden
- u pump it 224, winfield
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- braums 127, arkansas city
- braums 237, winfield
- dollar general 22013, udall
- dollar general 23987, arkansas city
- dollar general 2456, winfield
- dollar tree 5998, arkansas city
- family dollar 1984, arkansas city
Super Store · 4
- dillon store 038, arkansas city
- dillon store 045, winfield
- walmart 0369, winfield
- walmart sc 978, arkansas city
Farmers' Market · 2
- arkansas city farm and art market nafmnp, arkansas city
- walnut valley farmers' market, winfield
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- wb meats llc, arkansas city
- walnut valley meat market winfield, winfield
Small Grocery Store · 2
- khao kham market, winfield
- tienda mary 1, arkansas city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kansas
Compare Cowley County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Food access nationally, Kansas in context
Cowley County sits inside Kansas (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 Cowley County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cowley County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cowley County? ▼
Is Cowley County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cowley 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.