Signature · 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts)
Hancock County, MS
Hancock County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of the book) alongside 43.5% low-access.
- 43.5%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 10.5%
- on SNAP
- 46K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hancock County, MS
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 43.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +21.4 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 43% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: DeSoto County (+ 5.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Hancock County sits in the upper national band (43.5%, #307 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #307
- national by low-access %
- #6
- in MS
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts) .
How Hancock County compares nationally
Hancock County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 43.5% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #307 most-affected nationwide.
Hancock County's elevated USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Hancock County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (4 urban, 3 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 3 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Hancock County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Mississippi, not a full county-board reprint
- Quitman
Quitman 90.1%
90.1 % low-access
- DeSoto
DeSoto 48.7%
48.7 % low-access
- Hancock
Hancock 43.5%
43.5 % low-access
- Lamar
Lamar 38%
38 % low-access
- Lafayette
Lafayette 37.5%
37.5 % low-access
- Kemper
Kemper 37%
37 % low-access
- Covington 0
Covington 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 43,929 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 19,100 |
| Low-Access Share | 43.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,786 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 46,167 |
| Median Household Income | $67,708 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,125 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
Thick SNAP store book in Hancock County
Hancock County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (46% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 37 authorized stores; Waveland holds 30% of them. 4 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Kiln, Pass Christian, Pearlington, Perkinston.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Waveland | 11 | 2 |
| Bay Saint Louis | 9 | 1 |
| Kiln | 6 | none |
| Diamondhead | 5 | 1 |
| Pass Christian | 2 | none |
| Pearlington | 2 | none |
| Perkinston | 2 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs 10755, diamondhead
- dollar general 10388, kiln
- dollar general 10495, bay saint louis
- dollar general 14402, kiln
- dollar general 12267, perkinston
- dollar general 12947, waveland
- dollar general 15884, bay saint louis
- dollar general 22288, diamondhead
- dollar general 23940, pass christian
- dollar general 25040, kiln
- dollar tree 3459, waveland
- dollar tree 5240, diamondhead
- family dollar 12880, kiln
- family dollar 8940, waveland
- family dollar store 607, bay saint louis
- loc le seafood market, llc, waveland
- walgreens 10321, waveland
Convenience Store · 15
- a one stop 5, bay saint louis
- bay quick stop, bay saint louis
- circle k store 1704, waveland
- circle k 2723752, diamondhead
- clark shell 35, bay saint louis
- clark's 17, waveland
- dedeaux all in llc, pass christian
- herbert all in llc, kiln
- mavenyengwa investments, pearlington
- murphy usa 7823, waveland
- peterson's chevron, perkinston
- raj 1 llc, bay saint louis
- road trip ii, llc, kiln
- us-90 quick stop, bay saint louis
- white's bayou rv park, llc, pearlington
Super Store · 3
- claiborne hill supermarket 2, waveland
- rouses market 47, diamondhead
- walmart s/c 1195, waveland
Small Grocery Store · 1
- susans sassy sweets llc, waveland
Supermarket · 1
- froogels super foods 2, bay saint louis
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Mississippi
One of 81 counties in Mississippi, 6 are shown here.
Compare Hancock County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →
Counties near Hancock County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hancock County, both outside Mississippi so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MS (43.5% here).
- Ocean County, NJ · 43.6% low-access
- Laclede County, MO · 43.7% low-access
- Radford city, VA · 43.3% low-access
- Hancock County, IL · 43.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MS (10.5% here).
- Kandiyohi County, MN · 10.5% SNAP
- Ray County, MO · 10.5% SNAP
- Otsego County, MI · 10.5% SNAP
- Washoe County, NV · 10.5% 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.
Mississippi among East South Central states
Mississippi ranks 2nd of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Hancock County, at 43.5%, runs 17.1 pts above the Mississippi 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 Hancock County, MS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 28045. 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.