Signature · 46 SNAP-authorized stores
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 access plate
County Graves County, KY
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 20.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -1.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 22% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Greenup County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Graves County ranks #1,661 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #28 of 110 counties in KY (20.3% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,661
- national by low-access %
- #28
- in KY
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 46 SNAP-authorized stores .
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 #1,661 most-affected nationwide.
Graves County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Graves County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (7 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Graves County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Fayette 20.7
Fayette 20.7%
20.7 % low-access
- Graves 20.3
Graves 20.3%
20.3 % low-access
- Greenup 20.1
Greenup 20.1%
20.1 % low-access
- Grayson 19.6
Grayson 19.6%
19.6 % low-access
- Hopkins 19.4
Hopkins 19.4%
19.4 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 37,121 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,525 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,884 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 36,630 |
| Median Household Income | $50,772 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,096 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
9 towns share the 46 authorized stores; Mayfield holds 74% of them. 6 of the 9 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Sedalia, Wingo, Farmington, Melber, Symsonia, Water Valley.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Mayfield | 34 | 5 |
| Fancy Farm | 2 | 1 |
| Hickory | 2 | 1 |
| Sedalia | 2 | none |
| Wingo | 2 | none |
| Farmington | 1 | none |
| Melber | 1 | none |
| Symsonia | 1 | none |
| Water Valley | 1 | none |
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare Graves County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Nationwide peers for Graves County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Graves County, both outside Kentucky so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (20.3% here).
- Kent County, MI · 20.3% low-access
- Cassia County, ID · 20.3% low-access
- Shasta County, CA · 20.3% low-access
- Clark County, OH · 20.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (14.8% here).
- Plaquemines Parish, LA · 14.8% SNAP
- LaSalle County, IL · 14.8% SNAP
- Crawford County, MI · 14.8% SNAP
- Iosco County, MI · 14.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Kentucky among East South Central states
Kentucky ranks 4th of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (19.8%). Graves County, at 20.3%, runs 0.5 pts above the Kentucky rate.
- Tennessee 27.2%
- Mississippi 26.4%
- Alabama 24.5%
- Kentucky 19.8%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Graves County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21083. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.