County food-access profile · Kentucky
Jefferson County, KY
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).
- 22.2%
- low-access pop.
- 24
- food-desert tracts
- 11.0%
- on SNAP
- 783K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
22.2% of Jefferson County residents live in a low-access area, and 24 of its 190 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 83
- low-access tracts
- 48K
- food-desert residents
- 8.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.3%
- 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 22.2%, above the national share. 83 of the county's 190 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 164,456 people. 24 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 48,030 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 22.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 52% of them and ranked #1,518 most-affected nationwide.
Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 190 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 Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Jefferson
Jefferson County, KY
22.2 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 190 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 741,096 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 83 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 24 |
| Low-Access Population | 164,456 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 48,030 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 783,022 |
| Median Household Income | $69,866 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 36,575 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.7%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
About 11.0% of Jefferson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 22.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 36,575 households here.
- 8.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 24 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
24 of Jefferson County's 190 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.6% of all its tracts.
A further 59 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 83.
An estimated 164,456 residents, roughly 22.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 48,030 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 107 tracts (56.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 631 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 141 locations (22% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 141
- a to z food mart., louisville
- binh phouc, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 2337, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 4779, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 5866, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6205, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6210, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6211, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6216, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6217, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 10856, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6203, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6206, louisville
- cvs pharmacy 6208, louisville
- cvs pharmacy cvs06209, louisville
- cvs pharmacy cvs11089, louisville
- carabbean market llc, louisville
- dollar general 0059, fairdale
- dollar general 0495, louisville
- dollar general 0538, valley station
- dollar general 0598, louisville
- dollar general 0992, louisville
- dollar general 10801, jeffersontown
- dollar general 2044, louisville
- dollar general 2353, louisville
- dollar general 2571, louisville
- dollar general 3302, louisville
- dollar general 6113, louisville
- dollar general 7153, louisville
- dollar general 7924, louisville
- dollar general 8553, louisville
- dollar general 9126, jeffersontown
- dollar general 9448, louisville
- dollar tree 1329, louisville
- dollar tree 1898, louisville
- dollar tree 1932, louisville
- dollar tree 1944, louisville
- dollar tree 2213, louisville
- dollar tree 2410, louisville
- dollar tree 4601, louisville
- dollartree 10043, louisville
- dollartree 10212, louisville
- dollartree 8945, louisville
- dollartree 9139, louisville
- dollartree 9618, louisville
- dollartree plus 9244, louisville
- dollar general 0295, shively
- dollar general 12215, louisville
- dollar general 12576, louisville
- dollar general 13244, louisville
- dollar general 15669, louisville
- dollar general 15707, louisville
- dollar general 17104, louisville
- dollar general 17154, louisville
- dollar general 19109, louisville
- dollar general 22716, louisville
- dollar general 24247, louisville
- dollar general 24777, louisville
- dollar general 25243, louisville
- dollar general 25756, louisville
- dollar general 25864, louisville
- dollar general 25998, louisville
- dollar general 30030, louisville
- dollar general 30112, louisville
- dollar general 31250, louisville
- dollar tree 1047, louisville
- dollar tree 1354, louisville
- dollar tree 2307, louisville
- dollar tree 3328, louisville
- dollar tree 3329, louisville
- dollar tree 3355, louisville
- dollar tree 5046, louisville
- dollar tree 5138, louisville
- dollar tree 5192, louisville
- dollar tree 5784, louisville
- dollar tree 6274, louisville
- dollar tree 6526, louisville
- dollar tree 8258, louisville
- dollar tree 8601, louisville
- dollar tree 861, louisville
- dollar tree 8715, louisville
- family dollar 12367, louisville
- family dollar 12991, louisville
- family dollar 6256, louisville
- family dollar 8696, louisville
- family dollar 8914, louisville
- family dollar 9071, louisville
- family dollar store 10270, louisville
- family dollar store 11504, louisville
- family dollar store 1351, louisville
- family dollar store 1670, fairdale
- family dollar store 2087, louisville
- family dollar store 2117, louisville
- family dollar store 4110, louisville
- family dollar store 4710, louisville
- family dollar store 6820, louisville
- family dollar store 750, louisville
- family dollar store 926, louisville
- family dollar store 928, louisville
- golden key int'l food store, inc, louisville
- green store, louisville
- jigg's produce, louisville
- merkato market, louisville
- rose's 530, louisville
- sagarmatha grocery, louisville
- saloum grocery, louisville
- sanag halal, louisville
- viethoa supermarket, louisville
- walgreen 02924, louisville
- walgreen 03756, louisville
- walgreen 09524, louisville
- walgreens 12322, louisville
- walgreens 15365, louisville
- walgreens 3776, louisville
- walgreens 3777, louisville
- walgreens 4163, louisville
- walgreens 4194, louisville
- walgreens 4216, louisville
- walgreens 6443, louisville
- walgreens 03618, louisville
- walgreens 10151, louisville
- walgreens 10560, louisville
- walgreens 11664, louisville
- walgreens 11665, okolona
- walgreens 15183, louisville
- walgreens 19454, louisville
- walgreens 3601, louisville
- walgreens 3631, louisville
- walgreens 3677, middletown
- walgreens 4309, louisville
- walgreens 4586, louisville
- walgreens 5001, louisville
- walgreens 5172, louisville
- walgreens 5436, louisville
- walgreens 5813, louisville
- walgreens 6171, prospect
- walgreens 6437, louisville
- walgreens 7064, louisville
- walgreens 7315, louisville
- walgreens 7643, louisville
- walgreens 9412, louisville
Convenience Store · 105
- 1313 food mart llc, louisville
- 2 brothers market llc, louisville
- 2 brothers market plus, louisville
- 3 brothers market, louisville
- 4 point grocery, louisville
- 4th & central food mart, louisville
- 7 star food mart llc, louisville
- 7th st food mart, louisville
- abp enterprises llc, louisville
- aj mart llc, louisville
- alisha malhotra llc dba speedymart #25 25, louisville
- altogether international, louisville
- annenuo 2 llc, louisville
- axis fuels 1, llc, fairdale
- ayman llc, louisville
- b quick, louisville
- breckenridge bp, louisville
- bader's food mart, louisville
- best stop food mart, louisville
- bethleham 2014 llc, louisville
- betterway food mart 4 inc., louisville
- bharat ky 1124, louisville
- boones bp, louisville
- boones shell, louisville
- bp shelbyville rd, louisville
- bquick food mart, louisville
- brian's deli, louisville
- broadway t, louisville
- brother food mart, louisville
- cardinal market, louisville
- circle k 4703314, louisville
- circle k 4703374, louisville
- circle k 4703375, louisville
- circle k 4703376, louisville
- circle k 4703377, louisville
- carry out food mart, louisville
- catherine mart inc, louisville
- cds food mart, louisville
- cedar creek corner store, louisville
- circle k 272076, louisville
- circle k 272107, louisville
- circle k 272111, louisville
- circle k 272114, louisville
- circle k 272134, louisville
- circle k 2723223, louisville
- circle k 2723224, louisville
- circle k 2723226, louisville
- circle k 2723228, louisville
- circle k 2723230, louisville
- circle k 2723232, louisville
- circle k 2723233, fairdale
- circle k 2723236, louisville
- circle k 2723238, louisville
- circle k 2723240, louisville
- circle k 2723242, louisville
- circle k 2723243, louisville
- circle k 2723244, prospect
- circle k 2723303, louisville
- circle k 2723311, louisville
- circle k 2723312, louisville
- circle k 2723315, louisville
- circle k 2723317, louisville
- circle k 2723330, louisville
- circle k 27275, louisville
- circle k 4700106, louisville
- circle k 4700112, louisville
- circle k 4703221, jeffersontown
- circle k 4703222, louisville
- circle k 4703225, louisville
- circle k 4703231, louisville
- circle k 4703234, louisville
- circle k 4703235, louisville
- circle k 4703237, louisville
- circle k 4703245, louisville
- circle k 4703246, louisville
- circle k 4703325, louisville
- circle k 4703363, louisville
- cork n bottle ii, louisville
- crums food mart, louisville
- dongar food mart & deli 534, louisville
- dhanlaxmi food llc 5, louisville
- dina llc dba dino's food mart, louisville
- dixie food mart, louisville
- dixie land food mart, louisville
- dongar food mart & deli, louisville
- dongar food mart 532, louisville
- duramart, louisville
- efs brownsboro, louisville
- fantastic market 5026904114, louisville
- fast food mart, louisville
- fine stop food mart, louisville
- five points food mart, louisville
- five points food mart, prospect
- floyd mart inc, louisville
- fnm food mart, louisville
- four brothers food mart, louisville
- fuel 19, louisville
- grab & go, louisville
- grab & go dixie, louisville
- grab n go, louisville
- grab n go ii no, louisville
- grab n go v, louisville
- green market, louisville
- greenwood food mart, louisville
- greenwood grocery store llc, louisville
Bakery Specialty · 4
- papa murphy's, louisville
- papa murphys pizza ky001, louisville
- papa murphys pizza ky009, louisville
- papa murphys pizza ky039, louisville
Showing 250 of 631 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Jefferson County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Jefferson County sits inside Kentucky (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.