Signature · 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)
Elk County, KS
Elk County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 36.8% low-access.
- 36.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.3%
- on SNAP
- 2K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Elk County, KS
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 36.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +14.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.3% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Cloud County ( -0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Elk County sits in the upper national band (36.8%, #523 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #523
- national by low-access %
- #22
- in KS
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 534
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .
How Elk County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Elk County's 36.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 83% of them and ranked #523 most-affected nationwide.
Elk County's elevated USDA tier split
1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 1 of Elk County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Elk County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Geary 36.9
Geary 36.9%
36.9 % low-access
- Elk 36.8
Elk 36.8%
36.8 % low-access
- Cloud 36.7
Cloud 36.7%
36.7 % low-access
- Chautauqua 36.6
Chautauqua 36.6%
36.6 % low-access
- Marshall 36.6
Marshall 36.6%
36.6 % low-access
- Jefferson 1.1
Jefferson 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 2,882 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,062 |
| Low-Access Share | 36.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 534 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,453 |
| Median Household Income | $64,609 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 73 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.5% |
Slim SNAP store book in Elk County
Elk County has 3 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 1 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 3 authorized stores; Howard holds 67% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Elk City.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Howard | 2 | 1 |
| Elk City | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 16620, howard
Convenience Store · 1
- sunflower station 1, elk city
Large Grocery Store · 1
- batsons drug and family market, howard
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kansas
One of 104 counties in Kansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Elk County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Kansas among West North Central states
Kansas ranks 4th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Elk County, at 36.8%, runs 10.4 pts above the Kansas rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Elk County, KS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 20049. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.