Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Howard County, MO
Howard County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 15.3% low-access.
- 15.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 10K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Howard County, MO
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 15.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.8 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Perry County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Howard County ranks #2,093 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #75 of 115 counties in MO (15.3% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #2,093
- national by low-access %
- #75
- in MO
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 641
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Howard County compares nationally
Howard County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.3% low-access share that beats 33% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,100).
Howard County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Howard County has 1 urban and 2 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.
Howard County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Missouri, not a full county-board reprint
- Mercer
Mercer 99.8%
99.8 % low-access
- Andrew 15.8
Andrew 15.8%
15.8 % low-access
- Randolph 15.8
Randolph 15.8%
15.8 % low-access
- Howard 15.3
Howard 15.3%
15.3 % low-access
- Perry 15.2
Perry 15.2%
15.2 % low-access
- Daviess 15.1
Daviess 15.1%
15.1 % low-access
- Mississippi 3
Mississippi 3%
3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 10,144 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,548 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 641 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,147 |
| Median Household Income | $65,938 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 281 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.9% |
SNAP retailers in Howard County
Howard County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 3 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 3
- casey's 2453, new franklin
- casey's 2691, fayette
- casey's 79, glasgow
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 17854, glasgow
- dollar general 8669, fayette
Large Grocery Store · 1
- charlies quik chek 0870, glasgow
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- premier meats of central missouri, new franklin
Supermarket · 1
- fayette 40, fayette
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Missouri
One of 114 counties in Missouri, 6 are shown here.
Compare Howard County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Nationwide peers for Howard County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Howard County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MO (15.3% here).
- Tuscola County, MI · 15.3% low-access
- Tuscola County, MI · 15.3% low-access
- Delta County, MI · 15.3% low-access
- Delta County, MI · 15.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MO (7.8% here).
- Lewis and Clark County, MT · 7.8% SNAP
- Lewis and Clark County, MT · 7.8% SNAP
- Custer County, NE · 7.8% SNAP
- Custer County, NE · 7.8% 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.
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Howard County sits inside Missouri (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 Howard County, MO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 29089. 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.