PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

DeKalb County, MO

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

20.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
7.8%
on SNAP
11K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

20.6% of DeKalb County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
826
food-desert residents
4.1%
households, no vehicle
8.7%
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 DeKalb County's low-access share at 20.6%, above the national share. 1 of the county's 2 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 2,659 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 DeKalb County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, DeKalb County's 20.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,638 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

DeKalb County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 2 census tracts in DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 2 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (50.0%) 1 tracts limited (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 50% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: DeKalb County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

DeKalb 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 DeKalb County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts2
Atlas Population (2010 basis)12,892
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population2,659
Low-Access Share20.6%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population826

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for DeKalb County
IndicatorValue
Population10,876
Median Household Income$69,826
Poverty Rate8.7%below the national average
SNAP Households290
SNAP Participation Rate7.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population17.7%
SNAP participation in DeKalb County 7.8%

About 7.8% of DeKalb County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 290 households here.
  • 4.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $69,826 with a 8.7% 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 DeKalb County

above the national share

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.

An estimated 2,659 residents, roughly 20.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 826 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

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 DeKalb County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

DeKalb 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 DeKalb County has low food access? ▼
20.6% of residents in DeKalb 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 DeKalb County? ▼
7.8% of households in DeKalb County receive SNAP, covering 290 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in DeKalb County? ▼
The poverty rate in DeKalb County, MO is 8.7%, with a median household income of $69,826 (Census ACS 2024).
Is DeKalb County a food desert? ▼
0 of DeKalb County's 2 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 DeKalb County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.1% of households in DeKalb 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.