PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Jackson County, OK

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Jackson 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).

31.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.3%
on SNAP
25K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

31.7% of Jackson County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.4%
households, no vehicle
16.2%
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 Jackson County's low-access share at 31.7%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,386 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,667 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 Jackson County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jackson County's 31.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #833 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Jackson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Jackson 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 Jackson County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (37.5%) 4 tracts limited (50.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 38% Limited 50% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Jackson County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Jackson County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Jackson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)26,446
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,386
Low-Access Share31.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,667

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Jackson County
IndicatorValue
Population24,678
Median Household Income$62,799
Poverty Rate16.2%above the national average
SNAP Households1,494
SNAP Participation Rate15.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.3%
SNAP participation in Jackson County 15.3%

About 15.3% of Jackson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 31.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,494 households here.
  • 6.4% 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 Jackson County

above the national share

1 of Jackson County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,386 residents, roughly 31.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,667 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Jackson County

Jackson County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • 7-eleven, inc. 21863, altus
  • all american, blair
  • allsup's 102420, altus
  • allsups 102408, altus
  • casey's 4519, altus
  • circle k 2709262, altus
  • circle k 2709263, altus
  • general store of elmer, elmer
  • mr. bill gas & food, altus
  • macs#11, olustee
  • murphy usa 6532, altus
  • quik stop 123 inc, altus
  • the blair express, blair
  • trio mart #1, altus
  • warrior mart, altus

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • braum's 114, altus
  • dollar general 0533, altus
  • dollar general 3675, altus
  • dollar general 18368, blair
  • dollar general 22663, olustee
  • dollar tree 2047, altus
  • family dollar store 1553, altus
  • walgreens 09670, altus

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • quartz view meat co, altus

Military Commissary · 1

  • altus air force base commissary 701, altus afb

Super Store · 1

  • walmart store 479, altus

Supermarket · 1

  • united supermarkets 366, altus

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Jackson County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Jackson County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Jackson County has low food access? ▼
31.7% of residents in Jackson County, OK 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 Jackson County? ▼
15.3% of households in Jackson County receive SNAP, covering 1,494 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Jackson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Jackson County, OK is 16.2%, with a median household income of $62,799 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Jackson County a food desert? ▼
1 of Jackson County's 8 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 Jackson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.4% of households in Jackson 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.