Signature · 36 SNAP-authorized stores
Howard County, TX
Howard County sits in the upper national band on low-access (32.6%, +10.5 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 32.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 12.4%
- on SNAP
- 32K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Howard County, TX
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 32.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +10.5 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Newton County ( -0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Howard County sits in the upper national band (32.6%, #770 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #770
- national by low-access %
- #73
- in TX
- 4
- 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: 36 SNAP-authorized stores .
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.
Howard County's elevated USDA tier split
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Howard County has 6 urban and 4 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 vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Texas, not a full county-board reprint
- Throckmorton
Throckmorton 100%
100 % low-access
- Nueces 33.2
Nueces 33.2%
33.2 % low-access
- Howard 32.6
Howard 32.6%
32.6 % low-access
- Newton 32.5
Newton 32.5%
32.5 % low-access
- Titus 32.3
Titus 32.3%
32.3 % low-access
- Cameron 32.2
Cameron 32.2%
32.2 % low-access
- Rains 0
Rains 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 35,012 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,408 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,281 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,290 |
| Median Household Income | $69,649 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,511 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.9% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Texas
One of 253 counties in Texas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Howard County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Counties near Howard County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Howard County, both outside Texas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside TX (32.6% here).
- Box Butte County, NE · 32.6% low-access
- Box Butte County, NE · 32.6% low-access
- Cass County, MO · 32.6% low-access
- Cass County, MO · 32.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside TX (12.4% here).
- Tipton County, TN · 12.4% SNAP
- Tipton County, TN · 12.4% SNAP
- Skagit County, WA · 12.4% SNAP
- Skagit County, WA · 12.4% 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.
Howard County inside a higher low-access state context
Howard County sits inside Texas (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, TX are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 48227. 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.