Signature · 2 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)
Kemper County, MS
Kemper County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 37.0% low-access.
- 37.0%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.2%
- on SNAP
- 9K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Kemper County, MS
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 37.0% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +14.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lafayette County (+ 0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Kemper County sits in the upper national band (37.0%, #514 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #514
- national by low-access %
- #9
- in MS
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .
How Kemper County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kemper County's 37.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 83% of them and ranked #514 most-affected nationwide.
Kemper County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
All 2 of Kemper County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Kemper County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Mississippi, not a full county-board reprint
- Quitman
Quitman 90.1%
90.1 % low-access
- Lamar
Lamar 38%
38 % low-access
- Lafayette
Lafayette 37.5%
37.5 % low-access
- Kemper
Kemper 37%
37 % low-access
- Sunflower
Sunflower 36.2%
36.2 % low-access
- Benton 35.7
Benton 35.7%
35.7 % low-access
- Covington 0
Covington 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 10,456 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,870 |
| Low-Access Share | 37.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,506 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,729 |
| Median Household Income | $46,431 |
| Poverty Rate | 24.8%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 425 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.6% |
SNAP retailers in Kemper County
Kemper County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (50% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 8 authorized stores; De Kalb holds 50% of them. 3 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Scooba, Dekalb, Preston.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| De Kalb | 4 | 1 |
| Scooba | 2 | none |
| Dekalb | 1 | none |
| Preston | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 17578, scooba
- dollar general 25073, dekalb
- dollar general 9333, de kalb
- family dollar 12882, de kalb
Convenience Store · 3
- chevron food mart 20, scooba
- preston pit stop, preston
- un, llc, de kalb
Supermarket · 1
- pilgrims foodliner, de kalb
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Mississippi
One of 81 counties in Mississippi, 6 are shown here.
Compare Kemper County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →
Mississippi among East South Central states
Mississippi ranks 2nd of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Kemper County, at 37.0%, runs 10.6 pts above the Mississippi rate.
- Tennessee 27.2%
- Mississippi 26.4%
- Alabama 24.5%
- Kentucky 19.8%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Kemper County, MS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 28069. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.