Signature · 38 SNAP-authorized stores
Independence County, AR
Independence County lands in the lower national band on low-access (12.1%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 12.1%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.7%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Independence County, AR
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 12.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -10.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Sebastian County (+ 1.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Independence County lands in the lower national band (12.1%, #2,329 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,329
- national by low-access %
- #68
- in AR
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 38 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Independence County compares nationally
Independence County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.1% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,335).
Independence County's lower-band USDA tier split
8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Independence County has 1 urban and 7 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.
Independence County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Washington 14
Washington 14%
14 % low-access
- Fulton 13.9
Fulton 13.9%
13.9 % low-access
- Sebastian 13.2
Sebastian 13.2%
13.2 % low-access
- Independence 12.1
Independence 12.1%
12.1 % low-access
- Van Buren 10.4
Van Buren 10.4%
10.4 % low-access
- Izard 0.9
Izard 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,647 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,428 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,234 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 38,175 |
| Median Household Income | $56,609 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,001 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
Thick SNAP store book in Independence County
Independence County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 16
- 759 heber springs llc, southside
- casey's 4203, southside
- casey's general store 3647, batesville
- central easy food mart, batesville
- e-z mart 4316, newark
- flowers bakery outlet 582, batesville
- littlefieldexpress #14 914, batesville
- littlefieldexpress #16 916, southside
- littlefieldexpress #17 917, batesville
- littlefieldexpress #7 907, cave city
- littlefieldexpress #8 908, batesville
- littlefieldexpress #9 909, batesville
- murphy usa 7635, batesville
- pfeiffer one stop, batesville
- virk inc, pleasant plains
- wildcat station, sulphur rock
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- dollar general 4420, batesville
- dollar general 7116, newark
- dollar general 765, batesville
- dollar general 978, batesville
- dollar general 14497, batesville
- dollar general 20048, bateville
- dollar general 21043, cushman
- dollar general 24756, desha
- dollar general 9276, pleasant plains
- dollar general store 16909, batesville
- dollar tree 1529, batesville
- family dollar 13367, newark
- family dollar 13739, pleasant plains
- family dollar store 985, batesville
- walgreens 12417, batesville
Super Store · 4
- harps food store 143, batesville
- harps food store 149, newark
- kroger food store 687, batesville
- walmart 119, batesville
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 41090, batesville
- bill's cash saver 406, batesville
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- la alegria mexican store, batesville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Arkansas
One of 74 counties in Arkansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Independence County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Counties near Independence County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Independence County, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AR (12.1% here).
- Napa County, CA · 12.1% low-access
- Napa County, CA · 12.1% low-access
- Routt County, CO · 12.1% low-access
- Routt County, CO · 12.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AR (13.7% here).
- Kent County, DE · 13.7% SNAP
- Kent County, DE · 13.7% SNAP
- Orange County, FL · 13.7% SNAP
- Orange County, FL · 13.7% 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.
Independence County inside a lower low-access state context
Independence County sits inside Arkansas (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 Independence County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05063. 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.