PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Knox County, KY

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Knox County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

27.9%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
31.9%
on SNAP
30K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

27.9% of Knox County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
12.4%
households, no vehicle
36.9%
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).

USDA data puts Knox County's low-access share at 27.9%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,905 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,708 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 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.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Knox County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Knox County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Knox County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (62.5%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (37.5%) Adequate 63% Limited 0% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Knox County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Knox County vs. other Kentucky counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Knox County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)31,883
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population8,905
Low-Access Share27.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,708

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Knox County
IndicatorValue
Population29,865
Median Household Income$32,527
Poverty Rate36.9%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,730
SNAP Participation Rate31.9%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle12.4%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.6%
SNAP participation in Knox County 31.9%

About 31.9% of Knox County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 31.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,730 households here.
  • 12.4% 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 Knox County

above the national share

3 of Knox County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 37.5% of all its tracts.

An estimated 8,905 residents, roughly 27.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,708 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

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

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Knox County has low food access? ▼
27.9% of residents in Knox County, KY live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Knox County? ▼
31.9% of households in Knox County receive SNAP, covering 3,730 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Knox County? ▼
The poverty rate in Knox County, KY is 36.9%, with a median household income of $32,527 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Knox County a food desert? ▼
3 of Knox County's 8 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Knox County households lack a vehicle? ▼
12.4% of households in Knox County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.