PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Mississippi

Lamar County, MS

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lamar 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).

38.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
9.6%
on SNAP
66K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MS

The food-access picture

38.0% of Lamar County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
14.7%
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 Lamar County's low-access share at 38.0%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 21,172 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,793 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 Lamar County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lamar County's 38.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #485 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lamar County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Lamar 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 Lamar County, MS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (37.5%) 4 tracts limited (50.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 38% Limited 50% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Lamar County, MS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lamar County vs. other Mississippi counties

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

% 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 Lamar County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)55,658
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population21,172
Low-Access Share38.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,793

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lamar County
IndicatorValue
Population65,713
Median Household Income$70,909
Poverty Rate14.7%near the national average
SNAP Households2,447
SNAP Participation Rate9.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.4%
SNAP participation in Lamar County 9.6%

About 9.6% of Lamar County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 38.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,447 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Lamar County

above the national share

1 of Lamar County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 21,172 residents, roughly 38.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,793 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lamar County

Lamar County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (47% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • cvs pharmacy 8993, hattiesburg
  • dollar general 3371, sumrall
  • dollar general 3398, purvis
  • dollar general 6473, hattiesburg
  • dollar general 8238, hattiesburg
  • dollar general 8479, lumberton
  • dollar general 9731, hattiesburg
  • dollartree 9211, hattiesburg
  • dollar general 10267, hattiesburg
  • dollar general 22711, purvis
  • dollar general 24001, sumrall
  • dollar general 25990, lumberton
  • family dollar 11446, lumberton
  • family dollar 13215, sumrall
  • family dollar store 394, purvis
  • family dollar store 661, lumberton
  • walgreens 7579, hattiesburg

Convenience Store · 12

  • almaisari pit stop, lumberton
  • b&k seafood int'l food market, hattiesburg
  • circle k 2723399, hattiesburg
  • fast mart 19, hattiesburg
  • fastmart 04, hattiesburg
  • fleetway 167, sumrall
  • golden eagle express 2, hattiesburg
  • minit mart 17220, hattiesburg
  • rankins grocery, lumberton
  • shell, lumberton
  • tienda mercado latino 1, hattiesburg
  • top spot deli, hattiesburg

Supermarket · 3

  • corner market 6075, hattiesburg
  • piggly wiggly 3, lumberton
  • ramey's 2, sumrall

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • 365 food mart llc, hattiesburg
  • olde tyme farmers market, hattiesburg

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • ramey's 7, purvis

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • morgan's discount grocery, purvis

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Mississippi

Adams County
28.3% low-access · 16.5% SNAP
Alcorn County
18.9% low-access · 16.1% SNAP
Amite County
13.9% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Attala County
27.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Benton County
35.7% low-access · 17.2% SNAP
Bolivar County
50.9% low-access · 26.0% SNAP

Compare Lamar County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →

Food access nationally, Mississippi in context

Lamar County sits inside Mississippi (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 Lamar County has low food access? ▼
38.0% of residents in Lamar County, MS 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 Lamar County? ▼
9.6% of households in Lamar County receive SNAP, covering 2,447 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lamar County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lamar County, MS is 14.7%, with a median household income of $70,909 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lamar County a food desert? ▼
1 of Lamar 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 Lamar County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Lamar 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.