PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Harlan County, KY

Most of Harlan County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

6.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
26.5%
on SNAP
26K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

6.2% of Harlan County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
848
food-desert residents
8.1%
households, no vehicle
27.4%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Harlan County fares better than most: just 6.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,828 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 848 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 Harlan County compares nationally

Food access in Harlan County compares favorably nationally: its 6.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,751).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Harlan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Harlan 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 Harlan County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (90.9%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 91% Limited 0% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Harlan County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Harlan 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 Harlan County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)29,278
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population1,828
Low-Access Share6.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population848

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Harlan County
IndicatorValue
Population25,772
Median Household Income$41,693
Poverty Rate27.4%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,839
SNAP Participation Rate26.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.1%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.2%
SNAP participation in Harlan County 26.5%

About 26.5% of Harlan County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 26.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,839 households here.
  • 8.1% 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 Harlan County

below the national share

1 of Harlan County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

An estimated 1,828 residents, roughly 6.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 848 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (90.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Harlan County

Harlan County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • a&a turners grocery inc, big laurel
  • bear ridge market, evarts
  • bella food and fuel # 1 1, coldiron
  • ben's petroleum, llc, harlan
  • c & s grocery, inc., cawood
  • cumberland citgo, cumberland
  • dewayne saylor's grocery, closplint
  • evarts mini mart, evarts
  • harlan kwik mart 1036, harlan
  • harlan double kwik 2 1037, harlan
  • harlan food mart, harlan
  • hensley's grocery, wallins creek
  • jerry's market, evarts
  • lav inc, louellen
  • loyall food mart 1, loyall
  • rail house, totz
  • speedway 9587, cumberland
  • the red barn mini market, benham

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs pharmacy 6341, harlan
  • dollar general 0308, cumberland
  • dollar general 14248, coldiron
  • dollar general 4874, harlan
  • dollar general 16497, baxter
  • dollar general 16959, evarts
  • dollar general 24731, harlan
  • dollar tree 8874, harlan
  • family dollar store 530, cumberland
  • family dollar 11632, bledsoe
  • family dollar 11951, harlan
  • family dollar 13259, coldiron
  • family dollar store 4303, evarts
  • roper's market, baxter

Supermarket · 4

  • food city 437, harlan
  • food city 468, cumberland
  • houchens save a lot 173, harlan
  • houchens save a lot 426, evarts

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • brock's market, bledsoe
  • cawood food mart, cawood
  • value depot llc, harlan

Super Store · 3

  • cash saver, harlan
  • dons super saver inc, harlan
  • walmart 1743, harlan

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 Harlan County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Harlan 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 Harlan County has low food access? ▼
6.2% of residents in Harlan 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 Harlan County? ▼
26.5% of households in Harlan County receive SNAP, covering 2,839 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Harlan County? ▼
The poverty rate in Harlan County, KY is 27.4%, with a median household income of $41,693 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Harlan County a food desert? ▼
1 of Harlan County's 11 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 Harlan County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.1% of households in Harlan 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.