PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Howard County, TX

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).

32.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
12.4%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

32.6% of Howard County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.3%
households, no vehicle
13.8%
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 32.6%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,408 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,281 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 32.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #773 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Howard County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 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).

Food access tier distribution for Howard County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (60.0%) 2 tracts limited (20.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 20% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Howard County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Howard County vs. other Texas counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas

% 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 Howard County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)35,012
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population11,408
Low-Access Share32.6%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,281

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Howard County
IndicatorValue
Population32,290
Median Household Income$69,649
Poverty Rate13.8%near the national average
SNAP Households1,511
SNAP Participation Rate12.4%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population9.9%
SNAP participation in Howard County 12.4%

About 12.4% of Howard County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,511 households here.
  • 6.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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

2 of Howard County's 10 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 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 11,408 residents, roughly 32.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,281 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Howard County

Howard County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (67% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • 7-eleven 0500, big spring
  • 7-eleven 0501, big spring
  • 7-eleven 0502, big spring
  • 7-eleven 0503, big spring
  • 7-eleven 0506, big spring
  • 7-eleven 0507, big spring
  • 7-eleven, inc. 42425, coahoma
  • 7-eleven, inc. 42426, big spring
  • fast stop texas express 3, big spring
  • horseshoe #3 3, big spring
  • kent kwik 411, big spring
  • kent kwik 412, big spring
  • kwik chek 70, big spring
  • kwikie grocery inc 2, big spring
  • kwikie groceryinc 1, big spring
  • love's travel stop 976, big spring
  • murphy usa 7724, big spring
  • onestop, coahoma
  • pilot travel center 559, big spring
  • quick track 83, big spring
  • travelcenters of america 230, big spring
  • uncle's 6377, big spring
  • uncle's 6386, big spring
  • yesway 1054, big spring

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 4154, big spring
  • dollar tree 3249, big spring
  • dollar general 15673, big spring
  • dollar general 15891, big spring
  • dollar general 22021, big spring
  • family dollar 11823, big spring
  • family dollar 3106, big spring

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • bargain mart, big spring
  • hull's meat company, big spring

Supermarket · 2

  • heb 051, big spring
  • lowe's market 173, big spring

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 513, big spring

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Howard County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Howard County sits inside Texas (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 Howard County has low food access? ▼
32.6% of residents in Howard County, TX 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 Howard County? ▼
12.4% of households in Howard County receive SNAP, covering 1,511 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Howard County? ▼
The poverty rate in Howard County, TX is 13.8%, with a median household income of $69,649 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Howard County a food desert? ▼
2 of Howard County's 10 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 Howard County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.3% of households in Howard 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.