PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Mississippi

Leflore County, MS

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

29.1%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
28.1%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MS

The food-access picture

29.1% of Leflore County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
14.7%
households, no vehicle
31.5%
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 Leflore County's low-access share at 29.1%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,409 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,733 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 Leflore County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Leflore County's 29.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 68% of them and ranked #999 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Leflore County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Leflore 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 Leflore County, MS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (12.5%) 2 tracts limited (25.0%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (62.5%) Adequate 13% Limited 25% Severe 63% Food-access tier distribution: Leflore County, MS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Leflore 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 Leflore County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,317
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population9,409
Low-Access Share29.1%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,733

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Leflore County
IndicatorValue
Population27,141
Median Household Income$35,277
Poverty Rate31.5%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,866
SNAP Participation Rate28.1%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle14.7%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Leflore County 28.1%

About 28.1% of Leflore County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 28.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,866 households here.
  • 14.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Leflore County

above the national share

5 of Leflore County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 62.5% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 9,409 residents, roughly 29.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,733 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (12.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Leflore County

Leflore County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • crosstown food mart, greenwood
  • cum n go grocery, greenwood
  • double quick 202, greenwood
  • double quick 21, greenwood
  • double quick 23, greenwood
  • double quick 25, greenwood
  • double quick 38, sidon
  • double quick 42, itta bena
  • double quick 43, itta bena
  • four seasons of ms, inc., itta bena
  • goodwill convenient store llc, greenwood
  • greenland grocery mart, greenwood
  • greenwood main stop, inc., greenwood
  • l & t food market, itta bena
  • mini mart 651, greenwood
  • murphy usa 7290, greenwood
  • shell go 505, greenwood
  • shellgo 520, greenwood
  • short stop, greenwood
  • thabet, inc., greenwood
  • the filling station 21, greenwood
  • triple stop inc. 2, greenwood
  • zhu's food market llc, greenwood

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 5801, greenwood
  • dollar general 3976, greenwood
  • dollar general 7375, greenwood
  • dollar general 7385, itta bena
  • dollar general 20137, greenwood
  • dollar general 25397, greenwood
  • dollar tree 365, greenwood
  • family dollar 11610, greenwood
  • family dollar 2783, greenwood
  • farmers market nursery, llc, greenwood
  • lu's wholesale foods, greenwood
  • walgreens 11171, greenwood

Super Store · 2

  • save-a-lot 23635, greenwood
  • walmart supercenter 716, greenwood

Supermarket · 2

  • big star 577, greenwood
  • market place 578, greenwood

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • mississippi meat company, greenwood

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 Leflore County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →

Food access nationally, Mississippi in context

Leflore 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 Leflore County has low food access? ▼
29.1% of residents in Leflore 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 Leflore County? ▼
28.1% of households in Leflore County receive SNAP, covering 2,866 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Leflore County? ▼
The poverty rate in Leflore County, MS is 31.5%, with a median household income of $35,277 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Leflore County a food desert? ▼
5 of Leflore 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 Leflore County households lack a vehicle? ▼
14.7% of households in Leflore 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.