PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

Evangeline Parish, LA

Evangeline Parish'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.

9.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
31.2%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

9.5% of Evangeline Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
11.6%
households, no vehicle
24.3%
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).

Evangeline Parish's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.5% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,224 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,137 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 Evangeline Parish compares nationally

Evangeline Parish lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.5% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,523).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Evangeline Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Evangeline Parish, 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 Evangeline Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (87.5%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 88% Limited 0% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Evangeline Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Evangeline Parish vs. other Louisiana counties

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

% 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 Evangeline Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,984
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,224
Low-Access Share9.5%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,137

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Evangeline Parish
IndicatorValue
Population32,060
Median Household Income$41,915
Poverty Rate24.3%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,917
SNAP Participation Rate31.2%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.6%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Evangeline Parish 31.2%

About 31.2% of Evangeline Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 31.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,917 households here.
  • 11.6% 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 Evangeline Parish

near the national share

1 of Evangeline Parish's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

An estimated 3,224 residents, roughly 9.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,137 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (87.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Evangeline Parish

Evangeline Parish has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (30% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 14

  • blue junction, ville platte
  • chapelle's grocery, turkey creek
  • chataingier foods, ville platte
  • cheap and best, ville platte
  • east main street food mart, ville platte
  • fontenot parkside grocery & tackl, ville platte
  • jett-express, mamou
  • legers grocery, turkey creek
  • mamou convenience store, mamou
  • mamou texaco, mamou
  • murphy usa 7191, ville platte
  • who datt quick stop, ville platte
  • y not stop 1010, ville platte
  • y not stop ville platte 700, ville platte

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 1264, ville platte
  • dollar general 18484, ville platte
  • dollar general 18935, ville platte
  • dollar general 4589, mamou
  • dollar general 6642, basile
  • dollar general 22336, ville platte
  • dollar general 24969, ville platte
  • dollar general 4621, ville platte
  • dollar general 777, ville platte
  • dollar tree plus 3109, ville platte
  • family dollar 4249, mamou
  • family dollar 9360, pine prairie

Medium Grocery Store · 6

  • b & s neighborhood market, ville platte
  • b&s grocery & meat market, ville platte
  • bayou chicot grocery, ville platte
  • fontenot's family grocery, pine prairie
  • mels quick stop, eunice
  • t-boy's slaughter hse mt mkt & gr, ville platte

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • big poppa's cajun smoke meat llc, chataignier
  • charlie's meat market, mamou
  • frank fontenots sausage kitchen inc, ville platte

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • ardoin salvage, ville platte
  • crawfish market & more llc, mamou
  • guillory's grocery & meat market, pine prairie

Supermarket · 3

  • piggly wiggly, mamou
  • spring market 701, mamou
  • teet's food store, ville platte

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • b & l seafood market, mamou
  • cajun crawfish tails llc, ville platte

Super Store · 2

  • champagne quality foods inc, ville platte
  • walmart 312, ville platte

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • paul's meat market & grocery, ville platte

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Louisiana

Acadia Parish
6.6% low-access · 24.4% SNAP
Allen Parish
28.1% low-access · 26.5% SNAP
Ascension Parish
42.3% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Assumption Parish
0.9% low-access · 19.9% SNAP
Avoyelles Parish
20.5% low-access · 27.9% SNAP
Beauregard Parish
55.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Evangeline Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

Evangeline Parish sits inside Louisiana (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 Evangeline Parish has low food access? ▼
9.5% of residents in Evangeline Parish, LA 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 Evangeline Parish? ▼
31.2% of households in Evangeline Parish receive SNAP, covering 3,917 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Evangeline Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in Evangeline Parish, LA is 24.3%, with a median household income of $41,915 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Evangeline Parish a food desert? ▼
1 of Evangeline Parish's 8 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 Evangeline Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.6% of households in Evangeline Parish 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.