PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Jessamine County, KY

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

25.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
9.3%
on SNAP
55K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

25.0% of Jessamine County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
11.3%
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 Jessamine County's low-access share at 25.0%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,165 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,738 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 Jessamine County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jessamine County's 25.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,296 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Jessamine County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Jessamine 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 Jessamine County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (55.6%) 3 tracts limited (33.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 56% Limited 33% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Jessamine County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Jessamine County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 Jessamine County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)48,586
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population12,165
Low-Access Share25.0%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,738

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Jessamine County
IndicatorValue
Population54,588
Median Household Income$74,576
Poverty Rate11.3%below the national average
SNAP Households1,858
SNAP Participation Rate9.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.6%
SNAP participation in Jessamine County 9.3%

About 9.3% of Jessamine County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,858 households here.
  • 4.0% 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 Jessamine County

above the national share

1 of Jessamine County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 12,165 residents, roughly 25.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,738 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Jessamine County

Jessamine County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • all star gas, nicholasville
  • ar enterprises #4, nicholasville
  • bell place 10, nicholasville
  • big apple bp, nicholasville
  • catnip double kwik 1062, nicholasville
  • circle k 2723247, nicholasville
  • circle k 2723248, nicholasville
  • clark's pump-n-shop 78, nicholasville
  • corner food mart, nicholasville
  • e-z mart & deli, nicholasville
  • elis shell, nicholasville
  • european market and deli 1, nicholasville
  • fivestar 6700, nicholasville
  • home run marathon, nicholasville
  • isaac's express mart, nicholasville
  • joe's food mart, nicholasville
  • kluckers, wilmore
  • main street blue bird llc, nicholasville
  • minit mart 4463, nicholasville
  • murphy usa 6598, nicholasville
  • raady daddy's llc, nicholasville
  • speedway 9330, nicholasville
  • tates creek mini-mart, nicholasville
  • wawa store 7606, nicholasville

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • cvs pharmacy 3995, nicholasville
  • dollar general 0950, nicholasville
  • dollar general 14677, nicholasville
  • dollar general 2851, nicholasville
  • dollar general 7822, wilmore
  • dollar general 22845, nicholasville
  • dollar tree 1992, nicholasville
  • family dollar store 10425, nicholasville
  • walgreen 9712, nicholasville
  • walgreens 17150, nicholasville

Super Store · 5

  • kroger #l-00708 l708, nicholasville
  • kroger #l-00713 l713, nicholasville
  • kroger 766, nicholasville
  • sam's club 4728, nicholasville
  • walmart 1210, nicholasville

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • european food mart, nicholasville
  • marketplace at fitch's square, wilmore
  • supermercado las nortenas 2 2, nicholasville

Farmers' Market · 1

  • dodd's corner farmer's market 12087, nicholasville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • nicholasville save a lot 23424, nicholasville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Jessamine County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Jessamine County sits inside Kentucky (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 Jessamine County has low food access? ▼
25.0% of residents in Jessamine County, KY 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 Jessamine County? ▼
9.3% of households in Jessamine County receive SNAP, covering 1,858 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Jessamine County? ▼
The poverty rate in Jessamine County, KY is 11.3%, with a median household income of $74,576 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Jessamine County a food desert? ▼
1 of Jessamine County's 9 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 Jessamine County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Jessamine 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.