PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

Jefferson Davis Parish, LA

Jefferson Davis Parish's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

15.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
20.3%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

15.6% of Jefferson Davis Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.5%
households, no vehicle
14.6%
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).

Jefferson Davis Parish's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.6% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,940 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,520 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 Davis Parish compares nationally

Jefferson Davis Parish lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.6% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,071).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Jefferson Davis Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Jefferson Davis Parish, 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 Jefferson Davis Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (71.4%) 1 tracts limited (14.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 71% Limited 14% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Jefferson Davis Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Jefferson Davis Parish vs. other Louisiana counties

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

% 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 Jefferson Davis Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)31,594
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population4,940
Low-Access Share15.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,520

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Jefferson Davis Parish
IndicatorValue
Population31,924
Median Household Income$57,341
Poverty Rate14.6%near the national average
SNAP Households2,449
SNAP Participation Rate20.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Jefferson Davis Parish 20.3%

About 20.3% of Jefferson Davis Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 15.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,449 households here.
  • 5.5% 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 Jefferson Davis Parish

near the national share

1 of Jefferson Davis Parish's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 4,940 residents, roughly 15.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,520 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Jefferson Davis Parish

Jefferson Davis Parish has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 12

  • 90 one stop, welsh
  • burnell's, lake arthur
  • e-z mart 4300, jennings
  • evans corner store, jennings
  • ez shop, jennings
  • lit express, welsh
  • murphy usa 7742, jennings
  • s&w one stop, elton
  • shop rite 39, lake arthur
  • the corner store, jennings
  • tp's grocery, fenton
  • valero corner store 2740619, jennings

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs 4501, jennings
  • dollar general 3373, welsh
  • dollar general 4304, lake arthur
  • dollar general 4468, jennings
  • dollar general 7893, elton
  • dollar tree 2555, jennings
  • dollar general 17308, jennings
  • dollar general 21835, fenton
  • family dollar 13133, welsh
  • family dollar 1902, jennings
  • walgreens 10577, jennings

Supermarket · 5

  • hanson's super foods, jennings
  • market basket 30, welsh
  • market basket 33, lake arthur
  • piggly wiggly, jennings
  • spring market 702, lake arthur

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • cormiers specialty meats, jennings

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • mr ts meat market & deli llc, elton

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 386, jennings

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Louisiana

Acadia Parish
6.6% low-access · 24.4% SNAP
Allen Parish
28.1% low-access · 26.5% SNAP
Ascension Parish
42.3% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Assumption Parish
0.9% low-access · 19.9% SNAP
Avoyelles Parish
20.5% low-access · 27.9% SNAP
Beauregard Parish
55.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Jefferson Davis Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

Jefferson Davis Parish sits inside Louisiana (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 Jefferson Davis Parish has low food access? ▼
15.6% of residents in Jefferson Davis Parish, LA 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 Jefferson Davis Parish? ▼
20.3% of households in Jefferson Davis Parish receive SNAP, covering 2,449 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Jefferson Davis Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in Jefferson Davis Parish, LA is 14.6%, with a median household income of $57,341 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Jefferson Davis Parish a food desert? ▼
1 of Jefferson Davis Parish's 7 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 Jefferson Davis Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.5% of households in Jefferson Davis Parish 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.