County food-access profile · Mississippi
Jones County, MS
Jones County'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.
- 15.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 14.2%
- on SNAP
- 66K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.2% of Jones County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 4.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.7%
- 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).
Jones County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.2% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,293 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,135 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 Jones County compares nationally
Jones County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.2% low-access share that beats 33% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,113).
Jones County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Jones County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Jones County vs. other Mississippi counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Mississippi
- Jones
Jones County, MS
15.2 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, MS
28.3 % low-access
- Alcorn
Alcorn County, MS
18.9 % low-access
- Amite 13.9
Amite County, MS
13.9 % low-access
- Attala
Attala County, MS
27.1 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, MS
35.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 67,761 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,293 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,135 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 66,472 |
| Median Household Income | $52,216 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,556 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
About 14.2% of Jones County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,556 households here.
- 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Jones County
near the national share
3 of Jones County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.4% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 10,293 residents, roughly 15.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,135 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Jones County
Jones County has 90 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 36 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 36
- cvs pharmacy 5777, laurel
- dollar general 10018, laurel
- dollar general 1046, ellisville
- dollar general 13069, laurel
- dollar general 1715, laurel
- dollar general 18387, laurel
- dollar general 18617, laurel
- dollar general 4813, laurel
- dollar general 6553, laurel
- dollar general 7190, sandersville
- dollar general 10322, laurel
- dollar general 11356, moselle
- dollar general 12294, laurel
- dollar general 12598, soso
- dollar general 13456, laurel
- dollar general 13588, laurel
- dollar general 15800, laurel
- dollar general 15868, laurel
- dollar general 22093, ovett
- dollar general 22167, ellisville
- dollar general 23965, ellisville
- dollar general 30289, laurel
- dollar general 30289, laurel
- dollar general 31106, laurel
- dollar general store 16727, ellisville
- dollar general store 16928, mosell
- dollar tree 478, laurel
- family dollar 10026, laurel
- family dollar 13424, sandersville
- family dollar 13801, moselle
- family dollar 13853, laurel
- family dollar store 1628, laurel
- family dollar store 2002, ellisville
- mrs. mary's market, llc, laurel
- roses 205, laurel
- walgreen 09037, laurel
Convenience Store · 34
- alliance energy industries 2, laurel
- alliance investments llc 4, laurel
- babbs one stop llc, laurel
- blues super store 1, laurel
- caesar food mart, llc, laurel
- circle k 2723391, sandersville
- circle k 2723392, laurel
- clark oil 44, laurel
- clark's 46, laurel
- clark's exxon 6, laurel
- clarks 47, laurel
- clarks 48, laurel
- clarks 49, laurel
- clarks 5, laurel
- clarks 53, laurel
- clarks 54, laurel
- clarks 55, laurel
- clarks 56, laurel
- clarks 57, laurel
- clarks 58, laurel
- clarks 59, ellisville
- fast stop, soso
- faststop 7, laurel
- jammu llc, soso
- laurel hot spot, laurel
- love's travel stop 848, sandersville
- minit mart 17227, laurel
- murphy express 8547, laurel
- myrick grocery llc, laurel
- one stop 2, laurel
- paw paw's groceries, laurel
- q.r 10th street market, laurel
- quick save, laurel
- texaco food mart 26, ellisville
Small Grocery Store · 6
- jarrochita bakery & grocery llc 1, laurel
- ovett little general, ovett
- panamex grocery store, ellisville
- tienda la libertad 1, laurel
- tienda tacana#3 1, laurel
- willie's in and out, soso
Supermarket · 6
- cashsaver 33, ellisville
- corner market 6062, laurel
- corner market 6065, ellisville
- grocery depot 6066, laurel
- grocery depot 6069, laurel
- piggly wiggly 623, laurel
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2
- carol's market, ellisville
- ford farms and produce 1, laurel
Super Store · 2
- kroger 355, laurel
- walmart supercenter 501, laurel
Large Grocery Store · 1
- la moreliana meat market 1, laurel
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- harp & hound butchery, ellisville
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- la moreliana meat market 3, laurel
Seafood Specialty · 1
- fins too seafood & specialty meats, laurel
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Mississippi
Compare Jones County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →
Food access nationally, Mississippi in context
Jones County sits inside Mississippi (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 Jones County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Jones County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Jones County? ▼
Is Jones County a food desert? ▼
What share of Jones 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.