PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Graves County, KY

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

20.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.8%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

20.3% of Graves County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.6%
households, no vehicle
19.9%
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 Graves County's low-access share at 20.3%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,525 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,884 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 Graves County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Graves County's 20.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,668 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Graves County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Graves 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 Graves County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (55.6%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 56% Limited 22% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Graves County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Graves 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 Graves County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,121
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population7,525
Low-Access Share20.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,884

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Graves County
IndicatorValue
Population36,630
Median Household Income$50,772
Poverty Rate19.9%above the national average
SNAP Households2,096
SNAP Participation Rate14.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.4%
SNAP participation in Graves County 14.8%

About 14.8% of Graves County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,096 households here.
  • 5.6% 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 Graves County

above the national share

2 of Graves County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 7,525 residents, roughly 20.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,884 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Graves County

Graves County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 20 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • cvs pharmacy 6380, mayfield
  • dollar general 1179, mayfield
  • dollar general 14331, mayfield
  • dollar general 11367, wingo
  • dollar general 11498, farmington
  • dollar general 11577, symsonia
  • dollar general 11691, mayfield
  • dollar general 11757, fancy farm
  • dollar general 15835, mayfield
  • dollar general 16914, sedalia
  • dollar general 20911, mayfield
  • dollar general 21763, water valley
  • dollar general 24296, mayfield
  • dollar general 25904, mayfield
  • dollar tree 887, mayfield
  • family dollar store 4149, mayfield
  • family dollar 13929, mayfield
  • farmers slaughter house, inc, mayfield
  • marathon 3266, mayfield
  • walgreens 12090, mayfield

Convenience Store · 16

  • bob & ann's market, sedalia
  • casey's 3339, mayfield
  • chek mart, mayfield
  • fivestar 6400, mayfield
  • hickory food mart, hickory
  • huck's 401, mayfield
  • lucky mart, mayfield
  • max's 125, mayfield
  • mike's mart 2, mayfield
  • mikes mart 1, mayfield
  • minit mart 4459, mayfield
  • murphy express 8550, mayfield
  • pockets 101, mayfield
  • pockets 118, mayfield
  • raceway 984 984, mayfield
  • sbm enterprises inc dba kychek mart 2, mayfield

Super Store · 3

  • dollar general 21322, hickory
  • ruler 282, mayfield
  • walmart 430, mayfield

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • off the hoof, mayfield
  • stahr foods, fancy farm

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • curry's grocery, wingo
  • etelvina grocery llc, mayfield

Supermarket · 2

  • food giant 531, mayfield
  • houchens save a lot 694, mayfield

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • burnett meats, melber

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 Graves County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Graves 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 Graves County has low food access? ▼
20.3% of residents in Graves 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 Graves County? ▼
14.8% of households in Graves County receive SNAP, covering 2,096 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Graves County? ▼
The poverty rate in Graves County, KY is 19.9%, with a median household income of $50,772 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Graves County a food desert? ▼
2 of Graves County's 9 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 Graves County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.6% of households in Graves 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.