Signature · 4 LILA tracts (30.8% of tracts)
Laurel County, KY
Laurel County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (30.8% of the book) alongside 24.5% low-access.
- 24.5%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 63K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Laurel County, KY
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.4 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 31% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Franklin County (+ 0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Laurel County ranks #1,326 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #20 of 110 counties in KY (24.5% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,326
- national by low-access %
- #20
- in KY
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 4 LILA tracts (30.8% of tracts) .
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
13 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Laurel County has 5 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Laurel County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Clay 25.2
Clay 25.2%
25.2 % low-access
- Jessamine 25
Jessamine 25%
25 % low-access
- Franklin 24.8
Franklin 24.8%
24.8 % low-access
- Laurel 24.5
Laurel 24.5%
24.5 % low-access
- Pulaski 23.7
Pulaski 23.7%
23.7 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare Laurel County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Nationwide peers for Laurel County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Laurel County, both outside Kentucky so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (24.5% here).
- Montgomery County, KS · 24.5% low-access
- Montgomery County, KS · 24.5% low-access
- Saunders County, NE · 24.5% low-access
- Saunders County, NE · 24.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (17.7% here).
- Somerset County, ME · 17.7% SNAP
- Somerset County, ME · 17.7% SNAP
- Tift County, GA · 17.7% SNAP
- Tift County, GA · 17.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Laurel County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Laurel County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21125. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.