PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

Crawford County, AR

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

34.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
10.2%
on SNAP
61K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

34.4% of Crawford County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
8K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
14.7%
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 Crawford County's low-access share at 34.4%, 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 21,298 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,168 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 Crawford County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Crawford County's 34.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #646 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Crawford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Crawford 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 Crawford County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (36.4%) 5 tracts limited (45.5%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 36% Limited 45% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Crawford County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Crawford County vs. other Arkansas counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas

% 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 Crawford County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)61,948
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population21,298
Low-Access Share34.4%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,168

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Crawford County
IndicatorValue
Population61,139
Median Household Income$64,132
Poverty Rate14.7%near the national average
SNAP Households2,391
SNAP Participation Rate10.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Crawford County 10.2%

About 10.2% of Crawford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 34.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,391 households here.
  • 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Crawford County

above the national share

2 of Crawford County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 21,298 residents, roughly 34.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,168 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 Crawford County

Crawford County has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 23 locations (49% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 23

  • braum's 227, alma
  • braum's 246, van buren
  • cvs 10255, van buren
  • dollar general 1953, alma
  • dollar general 2089, van buren
  • dollar general 3342, van buren
  • dollar general 8509, cedarville
  • dollar tree 1817, van buren
  • dollar general 13038, van buren
  • dollar general 14842, van buren
  • dollar general 14897, dyer
  • dollar general 1534, mulberry
  • dollar general 16267, van buren
  • dollar general 21284, alma
  • dollar general 24138, van buren
  • dollar general 24346, mountainburg
  • dollar general 24780, rudy
  • dollar general 31165, mulberry
  • dollar general 31253, van buren
  • dollar tree 7277, van buren
  • dollar tree 7438, alma
  • walgreens 07235, van buren
  • walgreens 11987, alma

Convenience Store · 12

  • alma food express, alma
  • casey's 4012, van buren
  • casey's 4641, van buren
  • casey's 3427, van buren
  • liberty food and gas inc., mulberry
  • love's trave shop 635, alma
  • maverik 5045, van buren
  • murphy usa 7330, alma
  • murphy usa 7732, van buren
  • pic n tote broadway 10, van buren
  • simmon's quick stop, mountainburg
  • van buren food mart, van buren

Super Store · 6

  • 10 box cost-plus 352, van buren
  • harps food store 314, van buren
  • harps food store 511, van buren
  • harps food store 512, alma
  • walmart 358, alma
  • walmart supercenter 16, van buren

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • butcher boys, van buren
  • key's family butcher shop, van buren
  • poultry direct inc, van buren

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • las villa mercado y mas, van buren
  • tienda la chiquita, van buren

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 46037, van buren

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arkansas

Arkansas County
47.0% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Ashley County
21.8% low-access · 13.2% SNAP
Baxter County
16.4% low-access · 8.5% SNAP
Benton County
24.9% low-access · 3.9% SNAP
Boone County
20.9% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Bradley County
23.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Crawford County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

Crawford County sits inside Arkansas (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 Crawford County has low food access? ▼
34.4% of residents in Crawford County, AR 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 Crawford County? ▼
10.2% of households in Crawford County receive SNAP, covering 2,391 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Crawford County? ▼
The poverty rate in Crawford County, AR is 14.7%, with a median household income of $64,132 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Crawford County a food desert? ▼
2 of Crawford County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Crawford County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% of households in Crawford 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.