County food-access profile · Missouri
Franklin County, MO
Franklin County'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.
- 10.6%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 7.1%
- on SNAP
- 106K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.6% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 3.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.2%
- 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).
Franklin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.6% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 17 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,734 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,034 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
Franklin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.6% low-access share that beats 22% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,446).
Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 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).
Franklin County vs. other Missouri counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri
- Franklin 10.6
Franklin County, MO
10.6 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, MO
27.3 % low-access
- Andrew
Andrew County, MO
15.8 % low-access
- Atchison 5.1
Atchison County, MO
5.1 % low-access
- Audrain
Audrain County, MO
22.6 % low-access
- Barry
Barry County, MO
19.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 101,492 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,734 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,034 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 105,950 |
| Median Household Income | $73,165 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,050 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 7.1% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,050 households here.
- 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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
near the national share
3 of Franklin County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 17.6% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 10,734 residents, roughly 10.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,034 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 13 tracts (76.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Franklin County
Franklin County has 79 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 33
- andy's produce 3, washington
- casey's general store 1658, new haven
- casey's general store 2080, saint clair
- casey's general store 2081, union
- casey's general store 3671, washington
- circle k 4701677, sullivan
- d/b/a good time market, saint clair
- express mart union 5003, union
- fastlane st clair 30, saint clair
- jack flash 903, washington
- ks kwik korner inc, saint clair
- lp mart ranch house 42, saint clair
- midwest petroleum 49, sullivan
- midwest petroleum 78, washington
- midwest petroleum 81, union
- murphy usa 7416, washington
- pacific bp lion petroleum, pacific
- pacific motomart 3353, pacific
- pilot travel center 208, pacific
- pilot travel center 673, sullivan
- pilot travel center 717, villa ridge
- quickstop, union
- quiktrip 672, union
- ranch house 66, saint clair
- rocket 4240, villa ridge
- union motomart 3364, union
- union quick stop, union
- wagners store, lonedell
- walils petroluem lc 345, saint clair
- wallis petroleum lc 335, pacific
- wallis petroleum lc 506, gray summit
- wallis petroleum lc 507, gray summit
- wayside south llc, catawissa
Combination Grocery/Other · 25
- b & h market, pacific
- cvs 10773, pacific
- dollar general 14038, lonedell
- dollar general 14108, sullivan
- dollartree 1166, washington
- dollartree 8920, saint clair
- dollar general 1063, sullivan
- dollar general 10885, washington
- dollar general 11735, villa ridge
- dollar general 1251, washington
- dollar general 13170, robertsville
- dollar general 21912, saint clair
- dollar general 24387, leslie
- dollar general 24779, sullivan
- dollar general 3408, saint clair
- dollar general 3613, new haven
- dollar general 6180, pacific
- dollar general 9316, gerald
- dollar general store 16864, gray summit
- dollar general store 17328, union
- dollar tree 4025, union
- dollar tree 5399, sullivan
- walgreens 09692, union
- walgreens 15827, sullivan
- walgreens 5717, washington
Super Store · 8
- country mart, saint clair
- schnuck 332, sullivan
- schnuck 371, union
- schnucks 719, washington
- target stores t- 2255, washington
- walmart sc 65, sullivan
- walmart sc 99, union
- walmart supercenter 172, washington
Large Grocery Store · 6
- finks discount foods, union
- hometown market, gerald
- save a lot 23365, new haven
- save-a-lot 25004, pacific
- seitters market, new haven
- williams brothers meat market, washington
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 41005, washington
- aldi 41016, sullivan
- aldi 41061, union
- save a lot 24779, saint clair
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's mo057 washington mo mo057, washington
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- andy's produce too, union
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- voss tom boy market, beaufort
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Missouri
Compare Franklin County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Franklin County sits inside Missouri (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
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? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Franklin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Franklin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.