PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Greenup County, KY

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

20.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
13.9%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

20.1% of Greenup County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.6%
households, no vehicle
15.4%
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 Greenup County's low-access share at 20.1%, 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 7,437 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,574 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 Greenup County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Greenup County's 20.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 46% of them and ranked #1,682 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Greenup County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Greenup 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 Greenup County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (55.6%) 3 tracts limited (33.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 56% Limited 33% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Greenup County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Greenup 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 Greenup County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)36,910
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population7,437
Low-Access Share20.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,574

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Greenup County
IndicatorValue
Population35,501
Median Household Income$60,751
Poverty Rate15.4%near the national average
SNAP Households2,045
SNAP Participation Rate13.9%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.6%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.4%
SNAP participation in Greenup County 13.9%

About 13.9% of Greenup County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,045 households here.
  • 4.6% 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 Greenup County

above the national share

1 of Greenup County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 7,437 residents, roughly 20.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,574 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 Greenup County

Greenup County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • clark's pump-n-shop 3, greenup
  • clark's pump-n-shop 40, south shore
  • clark's pump-n-shop 5, greenup
  • clark's pump-n-shop 72, greenup
  • clark's pump-n-shop 8, russell
  • flatwoods chevon f/m, flatwoods
  • jamana inc, flatwoods
  • kash stop 14, south shore
  • kentucky petro stop inc, south portsmouth
  • one stop grocery, argillite
  • rt 7 quick stop, greenup
  • super quik food store 001, flatwoods
  • super quik food store 002, greenup
  • super quik food store 003, raceland
  • super quik food store 004, greenup
  • super quik food store 11, russell
  • south shore 1st stop 90, south shore
  • speedway 9725, south shore
  • webb's country market, greenup

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy 2380, flatwoods
  • dollar general 0338, greenup
  • dollar general 0974, south shore
  • dollar general 7923, wurtland
  • dollar general 10664, ashland
  • dollar general 12390, greenup
  • dollar general 21894, flatwoods
  • dollar general 23370, south shore
  • dollar general 24559, argillite
  • dollar general 2664, flatwoods
  • dollar general 30171, greenup
  • dollar tree 6281, flatwoods
  • family dollar 12518, russell
  • family dollar store 1358, south shore
  • family dollar store 795, flatwoods
  • walgreens 17727, flatwoods

Farmers' Market · 1

  • greenup county farmers market, greenup

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • stockmans, south shore

Super Store · 1

  • pennington's food fair 3411, flatwoods

Supermarket · 1

  • greenup foodfair, greenup

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 Greenup County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Greenup 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 Greenup County has low food access? ▼
20.1% of residents in Greenup 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 Greenup County? ▼
13.9% of households in Greenup County receive SNAP, covering 2,045 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Greenup County? ▼
The poverty rate in Greenup County, KY is 15.4%, with a median household income of $60,751 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Greenup County a food desert? ▼
1 of Greenup 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 Greenup County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.6% of households in Greenup 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.