Signature · 3 LILA tracts (37.5% of tracts)
Knox County, KY
Knox County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (37.5% of the book) alongside 27.9% low-access.
- 27.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 31.9%
- on SNAP
- 30K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Knox County, KY
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 27.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +5.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 31.9% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 12.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 38% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hardin County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Knox County ranks #1,089 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #12 of 110 counties in KY (27.9% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,089
- national by low-access %
- #12
- in KY
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (37.5% of tracts) .
How Knox County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Knox County's 27.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,093 most-affected nationwide.
Knox County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Knox County has 2 urban and 6 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.
Knox County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Knox 27.9
Knox 27.9%
27.9 % low-access
- Hardin 27.7
Hardin 27.7%
27.7 % low-access
- Webster 27.7
Webster 27.7%
27.7 % low-access
- Bourbon 26.7
Bourbon 26.7%
26.7 % low-access
- Madison 25.7
Madison 25.7%
25.7 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 31,883 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,905 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,708 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 29,865 |
| Median Household Income | $32,527 |
| Poverty Rate | 36.9%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,730 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 31.9%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 12.4%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Knox County
Knox County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 20
- billy's one stop, barbourville
- barbourville food & smoke shop, heidrick
- barbourville shell food mart, barbourville
- bella food and fuel # 3 3, flat lick
- bhavya inc, barbourville
- brothers market, girdler
- carlos mills grocery, scalf
- chejar krupa llc, green road
- eastway market 17, flat lick
- eastway market 18, barbourville
- friendly mart 1, woodbine
- grab n go, gray
- heidrick one stop, heidrick
- j & g market, gray
- jay sadhi goga llc, corbin
- kwik mart 1, heidrick
- kwik mart 2, barbourville
- lee's food mart 23, barbourville
- q-zone 2, barbourville
- road fork grocery & grill, flat lick
Combination Grocery/Other · 14
- dollar general 0040, corbin
- dollar general 13888, flat lick
- dollar general 2636, barbourville
- dollar general 15071, girdler
- dollar general 17529, gray
- dollar general 20192, barbourville
- dollar general 21992, corbin
- dollar general 22083, barbourville
- dollar general 23611, barbourville
- dollar general 23683, artemus
- dollar general 31276, corbin
- dollar tree 7938, barbourville
- family dollar store 1873, barbourville
- walgreens 11884, barbourville
Supermarket · 3
- houchens iga 056, barbourville
- houchens save a lot 077, barbourville
- houchens save a lot 174, corbin
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- countywide produce market & deli, barbourville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mitchell's market, barbourville
Small Grocery Store · 1
- watkins market, gray
Super Store · 1
- walmart store 1189, barbourville
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 Knox County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Nationwide peers for Knox County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Knox County, both outside Kentucky so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (27.9% here).
- Natchitoches Parish, LA · 27.9% low-access
- Natchitoches Parish, LA · 27.9% low-access
- Walker County, GA · 27.9% low-access
- Walker County, GA · 27.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (31.9% here).
- Willacy County, TX · 31.9% SNAP
- Willacy County, TX · 31.9% SNAP
- Phillips County, AR · 32.1% SNAP
- Scotland County, NC · 31.6% 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.
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Knox 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 Knox County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21121. 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.