PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Hopkins County, KY

Hopkins 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.

19.4%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
13.8%
on SNAP
45K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

19.4% of Hopkins County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
7.1%
households, no vehicle
20.0%
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).

Hopkins County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.4% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 9,123 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,449 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 Hopkins County compares nationally

Hopkins County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.4% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,737).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hopkins County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Hopkins 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 Hopkins County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (66.7%) 3 tracts limited (25.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (8.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 25% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Hopkins County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hopkins 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 Hopkins County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)46,920
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population9,123
Low-Access Share19.4%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,449

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hopkins County
IndicatorValue
Population45,119
Median Household Income$56,815
Poverty Rate20.0%above the national average
SNAP Households2,544
SNAP Participation Rate13.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.0%
SNAP participation in Hopkins County 13.8%

About 13.8% of Hopkins County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,544 households here.
  • 7.1% 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 Hopkins County

near the national share

1 of Hopkins County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% 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 9,123 residents, roughly 19.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,449 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hopkins County

Hopkins County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 24 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 24

  • cvs pharmacy 6377, madisonville
  • dollar general 1177, madisonville
  • dollar general 1848, madisonville
  • dollar general 19333, madisonville
  • dollar general 7660, nortonville
  • dollar general 779, dawson springs
  • dollar general 7794, madisonville
  • dollartree 9917, madisonville
  • dollar general 11302, hanson
  • dollar general 12086, madisonville
  • dollar general 21136, dawson springs
  • dollar general 21321, saint charles
  • dollar general 21490, madisonville
  • dollar general 21512, earlington
  • dollar general 23108, white plains
  • dollar general 24310, mortons gap
  • dollar general 24878, madisonville
  • dollar general 31405, madisonville
  • dollar tree 117, madisonville
  • dollar tree 6806, madisonville
  • family dollar 755, madisonville
  • variety stores inc - rose's 556, madisonville
  • walgreens 11394, madisonville
  • walgreens 12587, madisonville

Convenience Store · 22

  • casey's 3289, dawson springs
  • gill's fuel mart, nortonville
  • hometown store, dawson springs
  • huck's 364, madisonville
  • huck's 368, madisonville
  • ideal market 11, nortonville
  • ideal market 14, hanson
  • ideal market 18, hanson
  • ideal market 21, madisonville
  • ideal market 23, white plains
  • ideal market 24, madisonville
  • ideal market 25, earlington
  • ideal market 28, madisonville
  • ideal market 29, dawson springs
  • ideal market 35, madisonville
  • ideal market 6, madisonville
  • j&r bargains plus llc, madisonville
  • kriva corporation, madisonville
  • love's travel stop 725, hanson
  • pappys, madisonville
  • pilot travel center 156, madisonville
  • wicks well market, madisonville

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 70116, madisonville
  • food giant 529, dawson springs
  • market place 520, madisonville
  • sureway food store 519, madisonville

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 563, madisonville
  • walmart supercenter 655, hanson

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • calhoun's custom meats, madisonville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • bestway of nortonville, nortonville

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 Hopkins County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Hopkins 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 Hopkins County has low food access? ▼
19.4% of residents in Hopkins 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 Hopkins County? ▼
13.8% of households in Hopkins County receive SNAP, covering 2,544 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hopkins County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hopkins County, KY is 20.0%, with a median household income of $56,815 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hopkins County a food desert? ▼
1 of Hopkins County's 12 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 Hopkins County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.1% of households in Hopkins 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.