PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

Johnson County, AR

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

27.3%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
12.0%
on SNAP
26K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

27.3% of Johnson County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.4%
households, no vehicle
19.8%
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 Johnson County's low-access share at 27.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,963 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,404 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 Johnson County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Johnson County's 27.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,133 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Johnson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Johnson 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 Johnson County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (16.7%) 1 tracts limited (16.7%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (66.7%) Adequate 17% Limited 17% Severe 67% Food-access tier distribution: Johnson County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Johnson County vs. other Arkansas counties

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

% 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 Johnson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)25,540
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population6,963
Low-Access Share27.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,404

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Johnson County
IndicatorValue
Population26,003
Median Household Income$45,995
Poverty Rate19.8%above the national average
SNAP Households1,240
SNAP Participation Rate12.0%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.1%
SNAP participation in Johnson County 12.0%

About 12.0% of Johnson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,240 households here.
  • 5.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Johnson County

above the national share

4 of Johnson County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 66.7% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 6,963 residents, roughly 27.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,404 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (16.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Johnson County

Johnson County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 13

  • casey's 3346, clarksville
  • casey's 4552, clarksville
  • dj's phillips 66, lamar
  • dodge store 6304, clarksville
  • e-z mart 4308, hartman
  • hagarville grocery, lamar
  • jordans kwik stop 79, clarksville
  • love's travel stop 822, clarksville
  • mccormick's one stop, clarksville
  • murphy usa 6792, clarksville
  • red lick country store llc, clarksville
  • tigermart, clarksville
  • tisha express, lamar

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 13954, clarksville
  • dollar general 18598, knoxville
  • dollar general 756, clarksville
  • dollar general 17958, coal hill
  • dollar general 21010, clarksville
  • dollar general 25278, clarksville
  • dollar general 25329, clarksville
  • dollar general 30531, hartman
  • dollar general 5879, lamar
  • dollar tree 2336, clarksville
  • family asian market, clarksville
  • family dollar 6613, clarksville

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • blue sky asian market, clarksville
  • el palenque market, clarksville

Super Store · 2

  • harps food store 227, clarksville
  • walmart 66, clarksville

Farmers' Market · 1

  • johnson county farmers' market, clarksville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • clarksville processing & taxidermy 1, clarksville

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • jc's bargain outlet 1, clarksville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arkansas

Arkansas County
47.0% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Ashley County
21.8% low-access · 13.2% SNAP
Baxter County
16.4% low-access · 8.5% SNAP
Benton County
24.9% low-access · 3.9% SNAP
Boone County
20.9% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Bradley County
23.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Johnson County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

Johnson County sits inside Arkansas (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 Johnson County has low food access? ▼
27.3% of residents in Johnson County, AR 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 Johnson County? ▼
12.0% of households in Johnson County receive SNAP, covering 1,240 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Johnson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Johnson County, AR is 19.8%, with a median household income of $45,995 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Johnson County a food desert? ▼
4 of Johnson County's 6 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 Johnson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.4% of households in Johnson 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.