PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Delaware County, OK

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

21.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.6%
on SNAP
41K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

21.1% of Delaware County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
19.0%
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 Delaware County's low-access share at 21.1%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,774 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,842 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 Delaware County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Delaware County's 21.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 49% of them and ranked #1,597 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Delaware County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Delaware 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 Delaware County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 67% Limited 22% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Delaware County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Delaware County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Delaware County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,487
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,774
Low-Access Share21.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,842

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Delaware County
IndicatorValue
Population41,279
Median Household Income$56,676
Poverty Rate19.0%above the national average
SNAP Households2,682
SNAP Participation Rate15.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Delaware County 15.6%

About 15.6% of Delaware County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,682 households here.
  • 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Delaware County

above the national share

1 of Delaware County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 8,774 residents, roughly 21.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,842 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Delaware County

Delaware County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • casey's general store 3701, jay
  • casey's general store 4065, grove
  • circle n convinence store, kansas
  • cowboy cove, grove
  • g & d one stop, colcord
  • grand slam#6, grove
  • keetoowah general store, salina
  • oaks ez stop, oaks
  • pit stop, eucha
  • rt petroleum llc, afton
  • s & p grocery and grill, colcord
  • st&t inc, grove
  • speedy's 4544, jay
  • speedy's 4546, kansas
  • the grand getaway rv park & mercantile, grove
  • trails end, jay
  • turtle stop 4, grove
  • twin oaks mart, twin oaks
  • wss station 2 llc, watts
  • woodshed of monkey island, llc, afton
  • y store, jay

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • braum's 75, grove
  • dollar general 14940, grove
  • dollar general 3376, grove
  • dollar general 4897, jay
  • dollar general 13033, kansas
  • dollar general 15240, grove
  • dollar general 16025, colcord
  • dollar general 22538, twin oaks
  • dollar general 23271, jay
  • dollar general 23487, grove
  • dollar general 23664, grove
  • dollar general 30626, colcord
  • dollar general store 23130, eucha
  • dollar tree 6383, grove
  • family dollar 13218, afton
  • family dollar 13368, colcord
  • family dollar 8402, kansas
  • walgreens 10643, grove

Super Store · 3

  • harps food store 165, grove
  • harps food store 169, jay
  • walmart 90, grove

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • cramer's quality meats, grove

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • cheapo depo, grove

Supermarket · 1

  • homeland 853, jay

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Delaware County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Delaware County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Delaware County has low food access? ▼
21.1% of residents in Delaware County, OK 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 Delaware County? ▼
15.6% of households in Delaware County receive SNAP, covering 2,682 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Delaware County? ▼
The poverty rate in Delaware County, OK is 19.0%, with a median household income of $56,676 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Delaware County a food desert? ▼
1 of Delaware County's 9 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 Delaware County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Delaware 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.