Signature · 0.0% low-access (0th pct)

Letcher County, KY

Letcher County lands in the lower national band on low-access (0.0%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

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

USDA FARA access plate

County Letcher County, KY

LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR

  • LA-ADEQUATE 0.0% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -22.1 pts vs US
  • LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 27.5% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.5% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Ballard County (+ 0.0 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Letcher County lands in the lower national band (0.0%); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

0
low-access tracts
0
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 0.0% low-access (0th pct) (-22.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).

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's lower-band USDA tier split

7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .

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

By USDA urbanicity classification, Letcher County has 0 urban and 7 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.

Letcher County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

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

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

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%

Thick SNAP store book 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 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 Letcher County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Counties near Letcher County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Letcher 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 (0.0% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (27.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Letcher County inside a lower low-access state context

Letcher 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 Letcher County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21133. 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.