Signature · 6.0% SNAP (47th pct in KS)
Ellis County, KS
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ellis 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).
- 21.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.0%
- on SNAP
- 29K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ellis County, KS
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 21.4% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH -0.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Grant County (+ 0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Ellis County ranks #1,569 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #76 of 105 counties in KS (21.4% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,569
- national by low-access %
- #76
- in KS
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 6.0% SNAP (47th pct in KS) (-6.1 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Ellis County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ellis County's 21.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,569 most-affected nationwide.
Ellis County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Ellis County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Ellis County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Graham 22.2
Graham 22.2%
22.2 % low-access
- Douglas 22.1
Douglas 22.1%
22.1 % low-access
- Finney 21.9
Finney 21.9%
21.9 % low-access
- Grant 21.7
Grant 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Ellis 21.4
Ellis 21.4%
21.4 % low-access
- Jefferson 1.1
Jefferson 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,452 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,102 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,168 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,920 |
| Median Household Income | $63,084 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 736 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.0%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.7% |
SNAP retailers in Ellis County
Ellis County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 20 authorized stores; Hays holds 75% of them. 1 of the 3 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Victoria.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Hays | 15 | 3 |
| Ellis | 4 | 1 |
| Victoria | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 8
- casey's 1930, ellis
- casey's 1957, hays
- casey's 2295, hays
- hays 24/7 travel store 8, hays
- kwik shop 350759, hays
- loves country store 455, ellis
- sinclair, hays
- tiger mart, hays
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 21915, ellis
- dollar general 23319, hays
- dollar general 25552, victoria
- dollar general 4427, hays
- dollar tree 7590, hays
- walgreens 06285, hays
Super Store · 3
- dillon store 014, hays
- dillon store 061, hays
- walmart supercenter 0664, hays
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys, hays
Farmers' Market · 1
- downtown hays market, hays
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- richs iga inc, ellis
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 Ellis County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Nationwide peers for Ellis County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Ellis County (6.0%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Kansas.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KS (21.4% here).
- Shelby County, IL · 21.4% low-access
- Washington County, TX · 21.4% low-access
- Clay County, IN · 21.3% low-access
- Whiteside County, IL · 21.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KS (6.0% here).
- Johnson County, IA · 6.0% SNAP
- Monroe County, IN · 6.0% SNAP
- Harrison County, IN · 6.0% SNAP
- Ottawa County, MI · 6.0% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Kansas among West North Central states
Kansas ranks 4th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Ellis County, at 21.4%, runs 5.0 pts below 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 Ellis County, KS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 20051. 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.