PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Franklin County, KY

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Franklin 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).

24.8%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
13.2%
on SNAP
52K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

24.8% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.0%
households, no vehicle
13.6%
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 Franklin County's low-access share at 24.8%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,228 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,347 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 Franklin County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Franklin County's 24.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,306 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Franklin 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 Franklin County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (45.5%) 4 tracts limited (36.4%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 45% Limited 36% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Franklin County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Franklin County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,285
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population12,228
Low-Access Share24.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,347

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Population51,842
Median Household Income$65,298
Poverty Rate13.6%near the national average
SNAP Households3,000
SNAP Participation Rate13.2%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.5%
SNAP participation in Franklin County 13.2%

About 13.2% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,000 households here.
  • 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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 Franklin County

above the national share

2 of Franklin County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 12,228 residents, roughly 24.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,347 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (45.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Franklin County

Franklin County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • ampm foodmart, frankfort
  • capital food mart, frankfort
  • circle k 4703217, frankfort
  • clark's pump-n-shop 88, frankfort
  • eastway market 12, frankfort
  • fivestar 4361, frankfort
  • fivestar 4479, frankfort
  • frankfort shell food mart, frankfort
  • gulf food mart, frankfort
  • handy market, frankfort
  • mahakal food llc, frankfort
  • racetrac 2601, frankfort
  • rhett's country market, frankfort
  • rishva inc, frankfort
  • river bend foodmart, frankfort
  • rocket food mart, frankfort
  • s.m.s. llc, frankfort
  • shell food mart, frankfort
  • skyview mart llc, frankfort
  • speedway 9611, frankfort
  • speedway 9635, frankfort
  • speedway 9700, frankfort
  • speedway 9720, frankfort
  • t mart, frankfort
  • upton quick stop 3, frankfort

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs pharmacy 10687, frankfort
  • dollar general 3420, frankfort
  • dollar general 7082, frankfort
  • dollartree 10722, frankfort
  • dollar general 12885, frankfort
  • dollar general 21647, frankfort
  • dollar general 23041, frankfort
  • dollar general 25346, frankfort
  • dollar tree 2439, frankfort
  • dollar tree 8428, frankfort
  • family dollar store 498, frankfort
  • family dollar store 6943, frankfort
  • samjay african international market, frankfort
  • walgreens 9855, frankfort
  • walgreens 9856, frankfort

Super Store · 3

  • kroger #l-00368 l368, frankfort
  • kroger 397, frankfort
  • walmart 720, frankfort

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • locals food hub & pizza pub, frankfort
  • rosa mexicana, frankfort

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 44043, frankfort
  • frankfort save a lot 23494, frankfort

Farmers' Market · 1

  • franklin county farmers market, frankfort

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Franklin County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Franklin County sits inside Kentucky (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 Franklin County has low food access? ▼
24.8% of residents in Franklin County, KY 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 Franklin County? ▼
13.2% of households in Franklin County receive SNAP, covering 3,000 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Franklin County, KY is 13.6%, with a median household income of $65,298 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
2 of Franklin County's 11 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 Franklin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.0% of households in Franklin 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.