County food-access profile · Kentucky
Hart County, KY
Hart County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 9.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.7%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.0% of Hart County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 825
- food-desert residents
- 8.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.3%
- 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).
Hart County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.0% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 1,647 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 825 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 Hart County compares nationally
Hart County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.0% low-access share that beats 18% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,566).
Hart County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Hart County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Hart County vs. other Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Hart
Hart County, KY
9 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 18,199 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,647 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 825 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,603 |
| Median Household Income | $52,285 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,380 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.7%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 18.7% of Hart County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,380 households here.
- 8.7% 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 Hart County
near the national share
1 of Hart County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 1,647 residents, roughly 9.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 825 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Hart County
Hart County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 13 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- dollar general 13448, horse cave
- dollar general 14100, canmer
- dollar general 1770, munfordville
- dollar general 14636, bonnieville
- dollar general 22325, munfordville
- dollar general 22548, upton
- dollar general 30676, cub run
- dollar general 31037, horse cave
- dollar general 31061, munfordville
- family dollar 12257, cub run
- family dollar 12674, munfordville
- family dollar 12962, munfordville
- family dollar 641, horse cave
Convenience Store · 9
- aaryan inc, bonnieville
- convenient stop, horse cave
- fivestar 6850, munfordville
- horse cave shell, horse cave
- love's travel stops & country stores, inc 360, horse cave
- munfordville bp 85, munfordville
- munfordville shell 87, munfordville
- nk brother, inc, horse cave
- quick shop, munfordville
Supermarket · 3
- houchens foodland 064, munfordville
- houchens market 005, horse cave
- houchens save a lot 133, munfordville
Farmers' Market · 2
- hart county farmers' market, munfordville
- r & t farms beef, magnolia
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- dennison's roadside market, horse cave
Large Grocery Store · 1
- r and s grocery and bakery, horse cave
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Hart County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Hart County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Hart County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Hart County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Hart County? ▼
Is Hart County a food desert? ▼
What share of Hart County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.