Signature · 7.2% SNAP (3rd pct in KY)

Kenton County, KY

Kenton County sits in the upper national band on low-access (36.4%, +14.3 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.

36.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
7.2%
on SNAP
171K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

USDA FARA access plate

County Kenton County, KY

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN

  • LA-ELEVATED 36.4% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +14.3 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-LIGHT 7.2% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.8% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-THIN 10% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Boyd County ( -2.2 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Kenton County sits in the upper national band (36.4%, #537 of 3,079) with 4 LILA tracts.

#537
national by low-access %
#8
in KY
19
low-access tracts
12K
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: 7.2% SNAP (3rd pct in KY) (-4.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .

How Kenton County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kenton County's 36.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 83% of them and ranked #539 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Kenton County's elevated USDA tier split

41 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Kenton County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 22 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 15 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 41 tracts evaluated. 22 tracts adequate (53.7%) 15 tracts limited (36.6%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (9.8%) Adequate 54% Limited 37% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Kenton County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Kenton County has 37 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Kenton County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Kenton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts41
Atlas Population (2010 basis)159,720
Low-Access Tracts19
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population58,150
Low-Access Share36.4%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population11,624

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Kenton County
IndicatorValue
Population171,288
Median Household Income$80,548
Poverty Rate11.8%below the national average
SNAP Households4,818
SNAP Participation Rate7.2%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%

Thick SNAP store book in Kenton County

Kenton County has 118 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 61 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 61

  • ameristop food mart, covington
  • ameristop food mart 29004 29004, erlanger
  • avm 1 llc, crescent springs
  • b & t retail inc - soliana carry out, covington
  • bill's food market, covington
  • bp anderson rd, crescent springs
  • circle k 4703319, covington
  • circle k 4703321, erlanger
  • covington marathon, covington
  • d&k family grocery llc, covington
  • dudley rd sunoco 45, edgewood
  • elm food mart, ludlow
  • elsmere mini mart, elsmere
  • erlanger bp, erlanger
  • express mart, elsmere
  • fort mitchell shell, crescent springs
  • fort wright bp 46, ft wright
  • fort wright shell, ft wright
  • fortune circle shell, erlanger
  • ft mitchel food mart, ft mitchell
  • garrard mini mart, covington
  • h & w grocery llc, covington
  • in & out market, independence
  • independence bp mart, independence
  • jay vihat llc, covington
  • latonia shell, covington
  • madison ave sunoco 47, covington
  • main mart, covington
  • mangal murthi llc 1, independence
  • marathon express, taylor mill
  • mercadito hispano covington, covington
  • morning view market, de mossville
  • new corner market, morning view
  • olympic shell, erlanger
  • one way mart, covington
  • pike food mart llc, covington
  • ron's food mart, covington
  • rt 25 carryout, walton
  • rt. 17 express, covington
  • save discount drugs, covington
  • soyra llc, covington
  • speedway 7405, crescent springs
  • speedway 7406, covington
  • speedway 8513, erlanger
  • speedway 9534, covington
  • speedway 9541, covington
  • speedway 9663, erlanger
  • speedway 9702, ft mitchell
  • stop & shop, elsmere
  • stop n shop llc/airport foodmart, erlanger
  • taylor mill blue pantry bp 4, taylor mill
  • the gas hole foodmart, independence
  • thorntons 553, edgewood
  • thorntons 73, erlanger
  • vasu oil llc 11976, independence
  • visalia market, latonia
  • wellness, inc., erlanger
  • wentworth market, covington
  • winston bp, covington
  • yabi's corner, covington
  • yogi petroleum llc dba liberty tobacco, covington

Combination Grocery/Other · 31

  • cvs pharmacy 5759, erlanger
  • cvs pharmacy 6113, covington
  • cvs pharmacy 6116, erlanger
  • dollar general 10417, independence
  • dollar general 2283, covington
  • dollar general 3792, erlanger
  • dollar general 4898, erlanger
  • dollar general 19006, covington
  • dollar tree 2777, covington
  • dollar tree 3479, ft mitchell
  • dollar tree 3835, edgewood
  • dollar tree 5707, covington
  • dollar tree 5870, independence
  • family dollar 12552, covington
  • family dollar 3781, ludlow
  • family dollar 4318, erlanger
  • family dollar 8878, independence
  • family dollar store 5038, independence
  • family dollar store 5859, covington
  • nky asian grocery, crescent springs
  • thawng asian grocery, erlanger
  • tienda tipicos esperanza 1, covington
  • united dairy farmers 021, ft wright
  • united dairy farmers 165, independence
  • united dairy farmers 193, taylor mill
  • united dairy farmers udf 169, independence
  • walgreen 15182, covington
  • walgreens 10315, independence
  • walgreens 12891, ft wright
  • walgreens 4082, crescent springs
  • walgreens 5548, erlanger

Super Store · 10

  • kroger #00381 381, covington
  • kroger 392, covington
  • kroger 477, ft mitchell
  • kroger 475, independence
  • kroger 971, edgewood
  • kroger 971, edgewood
  • remke 604, taylor mill
  • remke 607, ft mitchell
  • remke 608, erlanger
  • walmart supercenter 2967, ft wright

Small Grocery Store · 9

  • gramers market 603, erlanger
  • gutierrez deli, covington
  • loschiavo's fruits & veg, covington
  • marroquin store llc 1, covington
  • novedades zury, covington
  • perez agustin llc 1, covington
  • supermercado maya tikal 2 2, ft wright
  • tienda la samaritana llc, covington
  • usamex, covington

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 61087 61087, independence
  • riverside marketplace 756, ludlow
  • trader joe's 788, crestview hills

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • bill finke and sons inc, ft wright
  • la hacienda supermarket, erlanger

Farmers' Market · 1

  • covington farmers market, covington

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • lupitas bakery llc, crescent springs

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Kentucky

One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.

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

Counties near Kenton County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

SNAP-led peer set first for Kenton County (7.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Kentucky.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside KY (36.4% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (7.2% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Kenton County inside a higher low-access state context

Kenton County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

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 Kenton County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21117. 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.