County food-access profile · Missouri
Dunklin County, MO
Dunklin County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 11.3%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 24.6%
- on SNAP
- 27K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.3% of Dunklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 8.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 22.0%
- 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).
Dunklin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.3% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,626 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,724 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 Dunklin County compares nationally
Dunklin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.3% low-access share that beats 24% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,391).
Dunklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Dunklin County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Dunklin County vs. other Missouri counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri
- Dunklin
Dunklin County, MO
11.3 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, MO
27.3 % low-access
- Andrew
Andrew County, MO
15.8 % low-access
- Atchison 5.1
Atchison County, MO
5.1 % low-access
- Audrain
Audrain County, MO
22.6 % low-access
- Barry
Barry County, MO
19.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 31,953 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,626 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,724 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 27,493 |
| Median Household Income | $47,849 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.0%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,765 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.7% |
About 24.6% of Dunklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 24.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,765 households here.
- 8.5% 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 Dunklin County
near the national share
3 of Dunklin County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,626 residents, roughly 11.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,724 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Dunklin County
Dunklin County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 17
- adams kwik mart, kennett
- captains mart 17, clarkton
- casey's 1899, malden
- casey's 2065, kennett
- casey's 2187, campbell
- casey's 2234, kennett
- casey's general store 2082, malden
- casey's general store 2255, senath
- express food shop, campbell
- exxon 2, kennett
- holcomb junction, holcomb
- huck's 321, kennett
- murphy usa 6763, kennett
- quick stop #1, cardwell
- reliance 601 601, malden
- rhodes convenience stores 265, malden
- s&s 5 llc, malden
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 10883, clarkton
- dollar general 11779, senath
- dollar general 1225, malden
- dollar general 13272, cardwell
- dollar general 25303, holcomb
- dollar general 3038, kennett
- dollar general 7625, campbell
- dollar tree 2194, kennett
- dollar tree 5686, malden
- family dollar 13629, campbell
- family dollar 3524, kennett
Super Store · 5
- harps food store 287, malden
- harps food store 292, clarkton
- harps food store 499, kennett
- walmart 453, malden
- walmart sc 190, kennett
Supermarket · 2
- faulkners grocery, arbyrd
- vancil iga, campbell
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Missouri
Compare Dunklin County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Dunklin County sits inside Missouri (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 Dunklin County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dunklin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Dunklin County? ▼
Is Dunklin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Dunklin 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.