County food-access profile · Mississippi
Lauderdale County, MS
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lauderdale 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).
- 32.1%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 18.4%
- on SNAP
- 72K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.1% of Lauderdale County residents live in a low-access area, and 7 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 14
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 9.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 26.3%
- 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 Lauderdale County's low-access share at 32.1%, above the national share. 14 of the county's 19 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 25,738 people. 7 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,921 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 Lauderdale County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lauderdale County's 32.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #807 most-affected nationwide.
Lauderdale County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 19 census tracts in Lauderdale County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lauderdale County vs. other Mississippi counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Mississippi
- Lauderdale
Lauderdale County, MS
32.1 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, MS
28.3 % low-access
- Alcorn
Alcorn County, MS
18.9 % low-access
- Amite 13.9
Amite County, MS
13.9 % low-access
- Attala
Attala County, MS
27.1 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, MS
35.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 19 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 80,261 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 14 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 7 |
| Low-Access Population | 25,738 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,921 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 71,504 |
| Median Household Income | $50,817 |
| Poverty Rate | 26.3%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,270 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.4%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.5%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.0% |
About 18.4% of Lauderdale County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,270 households here.
- 9.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 7 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 Lauderdale County
above the national share
7 of Lauderdale County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 36.8% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 14.
An estimated 25,738 residents, roughly 32.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,921 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (26.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lauderdale County
Lauderdale County has 89 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 46
- a & a express lane 6, meridian
- b & d grocery, meridian
- brar food mart inc, lauderdale
- belks clarkdale superette, meridian
- c&k quick stop, meridian
- citgo, meridian
- corner market, collinsville
- daleville family grocery no, daleville
- double quick 203, lauderdale
- double quick 204, meridian
- double quick 206, collinsville
- double quick 207, marion
- double quick 208, meridian
- eddie's grocery, meridian
- flowers bakery outlet 112, meridian
- gas and go, meridian
- gurjas llc, meridian
- harris grocery store, lauderdale
- jimmy's mini mart llc, toomsuba
- king city, meridian
- love's travel stops & country stores, inc 343, toomsuba
- murphy usa 6504, meridian
- murphy usa 7452, meridian
- nixie, meridian
- north hills texaco, meridian
- one stop, meridian
- one stop deli, meridian
- paradise food mart, meridian
- paradise foodmart #4, meridian
- pilot travel center 1203, meridian
- pilot travel center 388, meridian
- pure properties 10, meridian
- randy one stop, meridian
- shell food mart 12, meridian
- shell food mart 19, meridian
- shell food mart 22, meridian
- shell food mart 23, meridian
- shell food mart 9, marion
- singh k inc, meridian
- ta meridian 047, meridian
- texaco food mart 7, meridian
- universal food mart, meridian
- why not quick stop, meridian
- xpress lane, meridian
- xpress lane 102, meridian
- xpress lane 39, meridian
Combination Grocery/Other · 29
- cvs pharmacy 5825, meridian
- cvs pharmacy 5835, meridian
- dollar general 1028, meridian
- dollar general 11259, meridian
- dollar general 13107, meridian
- dollar general 1559, meridian
- dollar general 18600, meridian
- dollar general 4742, meridian
- dollar general 8616, collinsville
- dollar general 8989, marion
- dollar general 9035, meridian
- dollartree 9464, collinsville
- dollar general 11799, lauderdale
- dollar general 12674, meridian
- dollar general 12717, meridian
- dollar general 15136, meridian
- dollar general 16313, toomsuba
- dollar general 20073, meridian
- dollar general 22637, meridian
- dollar general 23255, meridian
- dollar general 30932, meridian
- dollar general store 16357, meridian
- dollar tree 4428, meridian
- dollar tree 7707, meridian
- dollar tree 779, meridian
- family dollar 2182, meridian
- family dollar store 10507, marion
- walgreens 7580, meridian
- walgreens 12537, meridian
Super Store · 5
- cash saver 22, meridian
- sam's club 4871, meridian
- walmart 3990, north meridian
- walmart supercenter 1271, meridian
- walmart supercenter 981, meridian
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 82076, meridian
- piggly wiggly #110, collinsville
- winn dixie 0533, meridian
Farmers' Market · 1
- earth's bounty festival 1, meridian
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- shiloh farmer's market, meridian
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- country boys farm to table market, meridian
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- the back porch, meridian
Military Commissary · 1
- meridian nas commissary 135, meridian
Small Grocery Store · 1
- lahuastequita llc, meridian
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Mississippi
Compare Lauderdale County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →
Food access nationally, Mississippi in context
Lauderdale County sits inside Mississippi (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Lauderdale County has low food access? ▼
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Is Lauderdale County a food desert? ▼
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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.