County food-access profile · Kentucky
Laurel County, KY
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Laurel 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).
- 24.5%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 63K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.5% of Laurel County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 20.5%
- 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 Laurel County's low-access share at 24.5%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,414 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,578 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 Laurel County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Laurel County's 24.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,332 most-affected nationwide.
Laurel County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Laurel County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Laurel County vs. other Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Laurel
Laurel County, KY
24.5 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 58,849 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,414 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,578 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 62,983 |
| Median Household Income | $57,771 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,245 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 17.7% of Laurel County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,245 households here.
- 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Laurel County
above the national share
4 of Laurel County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.8% of all its tracts.
An estimated 14,414 residents, roughly 24.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,578 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (69.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Laurel County
Laurel County has 91 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 52 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 52
- 312 market inc, corbin
- benge grocery, london
- blazin vapes, corbin
- blue rock market, corbin
- circle k 2723253, london
- convenient food mart 2, corbin
- daksh inc, london
- dollar mania, london
- eb quick stop, east bernstadt
- east 80 gas & go llc, london
- eb market & deli inc, east bernstadt
- fil-am asian market, london
- flowers bakery outlet 529, london
- git n go, london
- glenview market, london
- go time 7, llc 7, corbin
- happy xpress, london
- houses midway market, corbin
- keavy market, keavy
- kp market, london
- la mexicana store, london
- laker express, london
- lakeside market, corbin
- london auto truck center, london
- london bp, london
- love' travel stops & country stores, inc 321, corbin
- macs fillin station, corbin
- murphy usa 5777, corbin
- murphy usa 7603, london
- north main market, london
- ott's grocery, london
- parkway mini mart, london
- pilot travel center 231, corbin
- pit stop market, corbin
- pit stop market & deli, london
- redi mart 28, london
- redi mart 30, london
- rn market, east bernstadt
- roscoe's market, corbin
- ruby market, london
- s&k grill & food mart, london
- speedway 9337, london
- saddlebrook one, london
- saloni llc - lily shop n cart, lily
- speedway 8112, london
- stop and go, llc 8, london
- sunrise food market, corbin
- super foodmart, london
- super station, london
- t-mart, london
- tmart 4, london
- village market, london
Combination Grocery/Other · 29
- big lots 3107, london
- cvs 6342, london
- dollar general 14313, london
- dollar general 19448, london
- dollar general 4324, london
- dollar general 7319, corbin
- dollar general 8453, london
- dollar general 11503, london
- dollar general 11845, london
- dollar general 12296, london
- dollar general 12930, london
- dollar general 15692, london
- dollar general 21660, london
- dollar general 22099, london
- dollar general 22222, corbin
- dollar general 22639, london
- dollar general 23956, london
- dollar general 25036, london
- dollar general 2710, london
- dollar general 30358, london
- dollar general 30546, london
- dollar general 30740, east bernstadt
- dollar general 8579, corbin
- dollar general 9543, east bernstadt
- dollar tree 2444, london
- family dollar 13537, london
- family dollar 13538, london
- family dollar store 454, london
- walgreens 12152, london
Super Store · 5
- e c porter supermarket, london
- kroger #l-00331 l331, london
- kroger #l-00409 l409, london
- walmart 1113, london
- walmart 1259, corbin
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 002, corbin
- houchens save a lot 076, london
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- garden spot produce, corbin
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- robinson's premium meats, london
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- cornett farm fresh, llc, london
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Laurel County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Laurel County sits inside Kentucky (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 Laurel County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Laurel County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Laurel County? ▼
Is Laurel County a food desert? ▼
What share of Laurel County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.