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 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 #537 most-affected nationwide.
Kenton County's elevated USDA tier split
41 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
Kenton County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (37 urban, 4 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 4 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Kenton County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Campbell
Campbell 39.1%
39.1 % low-access
- McCracken
McCracken 38.9%
38.9 % low-access
- Oldham
Oldham 38.8%
38.8 % low-access
- Kenton
Kenton 36.4%
36.4 % low-access
- Boyd
Boyd 34.2%
34.2 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 41 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 159,720 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 58,150 |
| Low-Access Share | 36.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,624 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 171,288 |
| Median Household Income | $80,548 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,818 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
15 towns share the 118 authorized stores; Covington holds 38% of them. 5 of the 15 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Elsmere, De Mossville, Latonia, Morning View, Walton.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Covington | 45 | 2 |
| Erlanger | 20 | 2 |
| Independence | 14 | 2 |
| Crescent Springs | 7 | 1 |
| Ft Wright | 7 | 2 |
| Edgewood | 5 | 2 |
| Ft Mitchell | 5 | 2 |
| Taylor Mill | 4 | 1 |
| Elsmere | 3 | none |
| Ludlow | 3 | 1 |
Top 10 of 15 towns by store count.
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).
- Bartholomew County, IN · 36.4% low-access
- Polk County, FL · 36.4% low-access
- Richland County, OH · 36.4% low-access
- Burlington County, NJ · 36.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (7.2% here).
- Osage County, KS · 7.2% SNAP
- Queen Anne's County, MD · 7.2% SNAP
- Tippecanoe County, IN · 7.2% SNAP
- Anoka County, MN · 7.2% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Kentucky among East South Central states
Kentucky ranks 4th of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (19.8%). Kenton County, at 36.4%, runs 16.6 pts above the Kentucky 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 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.