PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Lincoln County, OK

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

27.3%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.0%
on SNAP
34K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

27.3% of Lincoln County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
3.4%
households, no vehicle
17.3%
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 Lincoln County's low-access share at 27.3%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,364 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,804 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 Lincoln County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lincoln County's 27.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,133 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lincoln County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (42.9%) 3 tracts limited (42.9%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 43% Limited 43% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Lincoln County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lincoln County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Lincoln County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)34,273
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population9,364
Low-Access Share27.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,804

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lincoln County
IndicatorValue
Population34,219
Median Household Income$62,216
Poverty Rate17.3%above the national average
SNAP Households1,968
SNAP Participation Rate15.0%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Lincoln County 15.0%

About 15.0% of Lincoln County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,968 households here.
  • 3.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Lincoln County

above the national share

1 of Lincoln County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 9,364 residents, roughly 27.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,804 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lincoln County

Lincoln County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • brick hill, chandler
  • casey's 4507, chandler
  • carney express 1, carney
  • jacktown country market, meeker
  • kickapoo conoco travel plaza, harrah
  • kwick stop 62, meeker
  • kwick stop 99, prague
  • lawsons local market 102 102, meeker
  • love's country store, chandler
  • love's country store 169, stroud
  • msm 113 stores inc, agra
  • on the way, chandler
  • on the way 2 2, chandler
  • oncue express 4103, wellston
  • oncue express 4106, stroud
  • oncue express 47, chandler
  • oncue express 63, stroud
  • turk's country store, chandler
  • tim's american pride, llc, tryon
  • town & country market, davenport
  • wms express 5, stroud

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 2125, chandler
  • dollar general 4048, prague
  • dollar general 11405, wellston
  • dollar general 13676, carney
  • dollar general 15860, agra
  • dollar general 24824, meeker
  • dollar general 3136, stroud
  • dollar general 8209, meeker
  • family dollar 13432, stroud

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • anthony's foods, meeker
  • hometown grocery 0, prague

Super Store · 2

  • harps food store 477, prague
  • walmart supercenter 387, chandler

Supermarket · 2

  • williams foods, stroud
  • williams foods 2, chandler

Farmers' Market · 1

  • wellston farm and craft market, wellston

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • scoon miracle farm, chandler

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Lincoln County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Lincoln County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Lincoln County has low food access? ▼
27.3% of residents in Lincoln County, OK 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 Lincoln County? ▼
15.0% of households in Lincoln County receive SNAP, covering 1,968 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lincoln County, OK is 17.3%, with a median household income of $62,216 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lincoln County a food desert? ▼
1 of Lincoln County's 7 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 Lincoln County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.4% of households in Lincoln 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.