PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Laclede County, MO

Laclede County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

43.7%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
15.3%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

43.7% of Laclede County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
6.7%
households, no vehicle
18.2%
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).

Laclede County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 43.7% is well above the national share. 6 of the county's 6 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 15,555 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,023 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 Laclede County compares nationally

Laclede County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 43.7% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #304 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Laclede County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Laclede 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 Laclede County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 0 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts limited (50.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 0% Limited 50% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Laclede County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Laclede County vs. other Missouri counties

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

% 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 Laclede County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)35,571
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population15,555
Low-Access Share43.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,023

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Laclede County
IndicatorValue
Population36,390
Median Household Income$53,282
Poverty Rate18.2%above the national average
SNAP Households2,231
SNAP Participation Rate15.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Laclede County 15.3%

About 15.3% of Laclede County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 43.7% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,231 households here.
  • 6.7% 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 Laclede County

well above the national share

3 of Laclede County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 15,555 residents, roughly 43.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,023 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

SNAP retailers in Laclede County

Laclede County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • break time convenience store 3150, lebanon
  • casey's 1083, lebanon
  • casey's 1382, lebanon
  • casey's 1667, lebanon
  • circle k 4701692, lebanon
  • hannahs 4, conway
  • i-44 eagle stop 2, lebanon
  • lebanon eagle stop 24, lebanon
  • mo 211, lebanon
  • maverik 5302, lebanon
  • one stop#4, lebanon
  • rock ridge country store, eldridge
  • route 66 eagle stop 11, lebanon
  • stevens discount groceries, conway
  • stoutland eagle stop 31, lebanon

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • champion express, llc, lebanon
  • dollar general 12678, conway
  • dollar general 16093, lebanon
  • dollar general 18513, lebanon
  • dollar general 20843, lebanon
  • dollar general 23761, lebanon
  • dollar general 30469, lebanon
  • dollar general 457, lebanon
  • dollar general 9417, lebanon
  • dollar general store 17479, lebanon
  • dollar tree 1041, lebanon
  • walgreens 09796, lebanon

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 46015, lebanon
  • king cash saver 10, lebanon
  • price cutter 89, conway
  • price cutter plus 29, lebanon

Farmers' Market · 3

  • hill farm meats llc, lebanon
  • lebanon farmers' market, lebanon
  • route 66 farmers' market, lebanon

Super Store · 2

  • big lots 5443, lebanon
  • walmart sc 14, lebanon

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys take n bake pizza mo-050, lebanon

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • the bag lady, lebanon

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Missouri

Adair County
27.3% low-access · 9.0% SNAP
Andrew County
15.8% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Atchison County
5.1% low-access · 5.8% SNAP
Audrain County
22.6% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Barry County
19.7% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Barton County
56.5% low-access · 18.5% SNAP

Compare Laclede County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Laclede County sits inside Missouri (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 Laclede County has low food access? ▼
43.7% of residents in Laclede County, MO 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 Laclede County? ▼
15.3% of households in Laclede County receive SNAP, covering 2,231 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Laclede County? ▼
The poverty rate in Laclede County, MO is 18.2%, with a median household income of $53,282 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Laclede County a food desert? ▼
3 of Laclede County's 6 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 Laclede County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.7% of households in Laclede 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.