County food-access profile · Arkansas
Howard County, AR
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Howard County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 34.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 9.8%
- on SNAP
- 13K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.8% of Howard County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 22.5%
- 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).
USDA data puts Howard County's low-access share at 34.8%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 3 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 4,796 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,223 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 Howard County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Howard County's 34.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #602 most-affected nationwide.
Howard County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 3 census tracts in Howard County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Howard County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Howard
Howard County, AR
34.8 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 13,789 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,796 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,223 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,583 |
| Median Household Income | $45,603 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.5%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 501 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 9.8% of Howard County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 501 households here.
- 5.2% 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 Howard County
above the national share
1 of Howard County's 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% 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 4,796 residents, roughly 34.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,223 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Howard County
Howard County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- b's quick stop, mineral springs
- buddy's quick stop, mineral springs
- e z mart 4445, nashville
- e z mart 4446, nashville
- e z mart 4450, dierks
- murphy usa 6955, nashville
- quick track 51, dierks
- the gas spot 1010, nashville
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 624, nashville
- dollar general 676, dierks
- dollar general 15872, mineral springs
- dollar tree 5953, nashville
- family dollar 13185, dierks
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- el karnalito 1, nashville
Super Store · 1
- walmart 33, nashville
Supermarket · 1
- cash saver 7738, nashville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Howard County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Howard County sits inside Arkansas (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 Howard County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Howard County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Howard County? ▼
Is Howard County a food desert? ▼
What share of Howard 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.