PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Letcher County, KY

Most of Letcher County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

0.0%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
27.5%
on SNAP
21K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

0.0% of Letcher County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

0
low-access tracts
0
food-desert residents
6.5%
households, no vehicle
24.4%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Letcher County fares better than most: just 0.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 7 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 0 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Letcher County compares nationally

Food access in Letcher County compares favorably nationally: its 0.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 0% of them (rank #3,133).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Letcher County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Letcher 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 Letcher County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (100.0%) Adequate 100% Limited 0% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Letcher County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Letcher County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 Letcher County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,519
Low-Access Tracts0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population0
Low-Access Share0.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population0

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Letcher County
IndicatorValue
Population20,808
Median Household Income$41,793
Poverty Rate24.4%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,331
SNAP Participation Rate27.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Letcher County 27.5%

About 27.5% of Letcher County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 0.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 27.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,331 households here.
  • 6.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $41,793 with a 24.4% poverty rate.

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 Letcher County

below the national share

The remaining 7 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

None of Letcher County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.

SNAP retailers in Letcher County

Letcher County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 11

  • barker's cash & carry, mc roberts
  • deane stop & go, deane
  • dry fork double kwik 2067, whitesburg
  • ermine double kwik 1072, ermine
  • isom double kwik 1044, isom
  • jenkins double kwik 1032, jenkins
  • neon double kwik 1034, neon
  • pk's snack shack, cornettsville
  • pine mountain double kwik 1042, whitesburg
  • quickstop # 9, whitesburg
  • whitesburg double kwik 1046, whitesburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 0226, whitesburg
  • dollar general 0348, neon
  • dollar general 0349, jenkins
  • dollar general 13023, whitesburg
  • dollar general 23868, blackey
  • dollartree plus 8882, whitesburg
  • family dollar 11384, isom
  • family dollar store 739, whitesburg
  • walgreens 17328, jenkins

Supermarket · 6

  • food city 436, whitesburg
  • food world iga, neon
  • pic pac grocery & deli, isom
  • price less foods 483, whitesburg
  • save a lot jenkins 45107, jenkins
  • save a lot whitesburg 23582, whitesburg

Farmers' Market · 1

  • letcher county farmers market, whitesburg

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • the produce barn, whitesburg

Super Store · 1

  • walmart store 552, whitesburg

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Letcher County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Letcher County sits inside Kentucky (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 Letcher County has low food access? ▼
0.0% of residents in Letcher County, KY 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 Letcher County? ▼
27.5% of households in Letcher County receive SNAP, covering 2,331 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Letcher County? ▼
The poverty rate in Letcher County, KY is 24.4%, with a median household income of $41,793 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Letcher County a food desert? ▼
0 of Letcher County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Letcher County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.5% of households in Letcher 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.