PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kansas

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 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

The food-access picture

21.4% of Ellis County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
3.8%
households, no vehicle
18.3%
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 Ellis County's low-access share at 21.4%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,102 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,168 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 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 #1,574 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Ellis County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Ellis 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 Ellis County, KS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (33.3%) 3 tracts limited (50.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 33% Limited 50% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Ellis County, KS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Ellis County vs. other Kansas counties

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

% 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 Ellis County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,452
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,102
Low-Access Share21.4%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,168

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Ellis County
IndicatorValue
Population28,920
Median Household Income$63,084
Poverty Rate18.3%above the national average
SNAP Households736
SNAP Participation Rate6.0%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.7%
SNAP participation in Ellis County 6.0%

About 6.0% of Ellis County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 736 households here.
  • 3.8% 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 Ellis County

above the national share

1 of Ellis County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,102 residents, roughly 21.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,168 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

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.

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 retailers.

Other Counties in Kansas

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 Ellis County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Food access nationally, Kansas in context

Ellis County sits inside Kansas (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 Ellis County has low food access? ▼
21.4% of residents in Ellis 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 Ellis County? ▼
6.0% of households in Ellis County receive SNAP, covering 736 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Ellis County? ▼
The poverty rate in Ellis County, KS is 18.3%, with a median household income of $63,084 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Ellis County a food desert? ▼
1 of Ellis County's 6 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 Ellis County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.8% of households in Ellis 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.