Where does Elk County rank for food access?

According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019), Elk County ranks #523 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #22 of 105 counties in KS, the same sort as the worst-food-deserts ranking. See /methodology#corpus-placement.

What share of Elk County has low food access?

36.8% of residents in Elk County, KS 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 Elk County?

7.3% of households in Elk County receive SNAP, covering 73 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Elk County?

The poverty rate in Elk County, KS is 10.4%, with a median household income of $64,609 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Elk County a food desert?

1 of Elk County's 1 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 Elk County households lack a vehicle?

7.2% of households in Elk County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.

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.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · December 31, 2024

36.8%
low-access pop.: 1
food-desert tracts: 7.3%
on SNAP: 2K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

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 #526 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Elk County's elevated USDA tier split

1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Elk County has 0 urban and 1 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Clark

100
Geary

36.9
Elk

36.8
Cloud

36.7
Chautauqua

36.6
Marshall

36.6
Jefferson

1.1

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Elk County
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)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Elk County
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.

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.

Allen County

15.4% low-access · 9.3% SNAP

Anderson County

18.5% low-access · 5.2% SNAP

Atchison County

28.7% low-access · 10.9% SNAP

Barber County

11.5% low-access · 2.8% SNAP

Barton County

34.4% low-access · 7.0% SNAP

Bourbon County

27.5% low-access · 7.8% SNAP

Compare Elk County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Elk County inside a higher low-access state context

Elk County sits inside Kansas (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

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 2026-06-23.

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.