County food-access profile · Arkansas
Jefferson County, AR
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Jefferson 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).
- 26.0%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 14.7%
- on SNAP
- 65K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
26.0% of Jefferson County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
- 7.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.6%
- 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 Jefferson County's low-access share at 26.0%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 24 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,132 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,213 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 Jefferson County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jefferson County's 26.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,216 most-affected nationwide.
Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 24 census tracts in Jefferson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Jefferson County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Jefferson
Jefferson County, AR
26 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 24 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 77,435 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,132 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.0%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,213 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 64,802 |
| Median Household Income | $51,096 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.6%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,534 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.7% |
About 14.7% of Jefferson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 26.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,534 households here.
- 7.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Jefferson County
above the national share
8 of Jefferson County's 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 20,132 residents, roughly 26.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 8,213 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (58.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 66 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 27 locations (41% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 27
- carpenter's produce & fish, pine bluff
- dollar general 14510, white hall
- dollar general 14570, pine bluff
- dollar general 3895, pine bluff
- dollar general 4628, white hall
- dollar general 7130, pine bluff
- dollartree 9532, pine bluff
- dollar general 11365, white hall
- dollar general 13680, white hall
- dollar general 14257, pine bluff
- dollar general 15977, pine bluff
- dollar general 16111, pine bluff
- dollar general 16577, pine bluff
- dollar general 17491, pine bluff
- dollar general 20640, pine bluff
- dollar general 20887, pine bluff
- dollar general 20976, altheimer
- dollar general 3737, pine bluff
- dollar general 3775, redfield
- dollar tree 378, pine bluff
- dollar tree 4825, pine bluff
- dollar tree 7559, white hall
- eddie's produce, pine bluff
- family dollar 1105, pine bluff
- family dollar 13858, pine bluff
- family dollar 3782, pine bluff
- walgreens 15361, pine bluff
Convenience Store · 27
- big red 113, pine bluff
- big red 121, redfield
- chapel food mart, pine bluff
- cherry street food mart, pine bluff
- eagle alon express, pine bluff
- grab n fill up, white hall
- handy mart, pine bluff
- hardin food mart, white hall
- harding family market, pine bluff
- hazel gas stop, pine bluff
- hazel gourmet deli 1, pine bluff
- jeewan groceries, pine bluff
- love's travel stop 661, pine bluff
- m & j investment properties llc, pine bluff
- main street one stop, pine bluff
- murphy usa 7837, pine bluff
- olive market and deli, pine bluff
- pb corner market 1, pine bluff
- pine bluff food market, pine bluff
- pine express gas, pine bluff
- rick's quik stop, pine bluff
- royal gourmet deli llc 1, pine bluff
- shell food mart, white hall
- speedway 05, pine bluff
- speedway 104, pine bluff
- terri foods, redfield
- university food and gas, pine bluff
Supermarket · 7
- brookshire food store 10, white hall
- brookshire's spring market 726, redfield
- cash saver 24354, pine bluff
- food smart 12, pine bluff
- super 1 foods 622, pine bluff
- super 1 foods 624, pine bluff
- super 1 foods 628, pine bluff
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- chicken city, white hall
- white hall fresh market, white hall
Farmers' Market · 1
- saracen landing farmers market, pine bluff
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- owens food and supplies, inc, pine bluff
Super Store · 1
- walmart 3331, pine bluff
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Jefferson County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Jefferson County sits inside Arkansas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Jefferson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Jefferson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County? ▼
Is Jefferson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Jefferson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.