Signature · 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts)
Hempstead County, AR
Hempstead County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (40% of the book) alongside 31.6% low-access.
- 31.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.3%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hempstead County, AR
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 31.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +9.5 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.3% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 9.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 40% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Polk County (+ 0.7 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Hempstead County sits in the upper national band (31.6%, #837 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #837
- national by low-access %
- #22
- in AR
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts) .
How Hempstead County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hempstead County's 31.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #843 most-affected nationwide.
Hempstead County's elevated USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Hempstead County has 2 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Hempstead County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Faulkner
Faulkner 32.8%
32.8 % low-access
- Chicot
Chicot 32.6%
32.6 % low-access
- Desha
Desha 32.4%
32.4 % low-access
- Polk
Polk 32.3%
32.3 % low-access
- Hempstead
Hempstead 31.6%
31.6 % low-access
- Izard 0.9
Izard 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 22,609 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,142 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,642 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,508 |
| Median Household Income | $46,787 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 767 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
SNAP retailers in Hempstead County
Hempstead County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (37% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 18879, blevins
- dollar general 3148, hope
- dollar tree 2501, hope
- dollar general 24117, hope
- dollar general 30472, hope
- family dollar 1045, hope
- walgreens 10418, hope
Convenience Store · 6
- arlington lakes grocery & grill inc, hope
- captains food mart 33, hope
- hope valero, hope
- murphy usa 7839, hope
- suny food mart, fulton
- t mart-h tmh, hope
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- barry's grocery and market, hope
- tienda san luis, hope
Supermarket · 2
- super 1 foods 619, hope
- southern market 387, hope
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- jaco meats, hope
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 1065, hope
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Arkansas
One of 74 counties in Arkansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Hempstead County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Counties near Hempstead County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hempstead County, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AR (31.6% here).
- Posey County, IN · 31.6% low-access
- Posey County, IN · 31.6% low-access
- Colfax County, NE · 31.6% low-access
- Colfax County, NE · 31.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AR (10.3% here).
- Adams County, CO · 10.3% SNAP
- Adams County, CO · 10.3% SNAP
- Houston County, GA · 10.3% SNAP
- Houston County, GA · 10.3% 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.
Hempstead County inside a higher low-access state context
Hempstead County sits inside Arkansas (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Hempstead County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05057. 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.