PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

Lincoln Parish, LA

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

34.1%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
23.9%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

34.1% of Lincoln Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
9.5%
households, no vehicle
31.2%
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 Parish's low-access share at 34.1%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,956 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,066 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 Parish compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lincoln Parish's 34.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #662 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lincoln Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Lincoln Parish, 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 Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (40.0%) 1 tracts limited (10.0%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 10% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Lincoln Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lincoln Parish vs. other Louisiana counties

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

% 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 Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)46,735
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population15,956
Low-Access Share34.1%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,066

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lincoln Parish
IndicatorValue
Population48,174
Median Household Income$39,172
Poverty Rate31.2%well above the national average
SNAP Households4,411
SNAP Participation Rate23.9%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.5%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population9.7%
SNAP participation in Lincoln Parish 23.9%

About 23.9% of Lincoln Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 34.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 23.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,411 households here.
  • 9.5% 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 Lincoln Parish

above the national share

5 of Lincoln Parish's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 15,956 residents, roughly 34.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,066 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lincoln Parish

Lincoln Parish has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • big bucks, ruston
  • circle k stores 2707762, ruston
  • circle k stores 7768, ruston
  • dixie mart 17279, dubach
  • dixie mart 17284, ruston
  • e-z mart 4284, ruston
  • e-z mart 4285, ruston
  • everest mart, ruston
  • grab-it 1, ruston
  • hills grocery, grambling
  • mobil mart, ruston
  • murphy usa 7857, ruston
  • now save #22, ruston
  • quiktrip 7221, ruston
  • roger's mini mart, grambling
  • ruston subway, ruston
  • superior mart #3, grambling
  • superior mart 4, ruston
  • ta express grambling, grambling
  • usa travel plaza 11, ruston
  • usa travel plaza 13, ruston
  • usa travel plaza-7, ruston
  • zz-mart, ruston

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • dollar general 18585, ruston
  • dollar general 8100, ruston
  • dollartree 7107, grambling
  • dollar general 13029, choudrant
  • dollar general 13480, grambling
  • dollar general 16047, dubach
  • dollar general 31336, ruston
  • dollar general 6745, ruston
  • dollar tree 3831, ruston
  • family dollar 11435, ruston
  • family dollar 12171, simsboro
  • family dollar 12830, dubach
  • family dollar 13875, choudrant
  • family dollar store 8007, ruston
  • walgreens 13605, ruston
  • walgreens 11139, ruston

Supermarket · 3

  • shopper's value 9307, ruston
  • spring market 728, grambling
  • super 1 foods 617, ruston

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • gibson's fresh grocer, ruston
  • ruston groceries, ruston

Super Store · 2

  • walmart neighborhood market 4577, ruston
  • walmart supercenter 23, ruston

Farmers' Market · 1

  • north louisiana farm fresh / ruston farmers market, ruston

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Louisiana

Acadia Parish
6.6% low-access · 24.4% SNAP
Allen Parish
28.1% low-access · 26.5% SNAP
Ascension Parish
42.3% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Assumption Parish
0.9% low-access · 19.9% SNAP
Avoyelles Parish
20.5% low-access · 27.9% SNAP
Beauregard Parish
55.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Lincoln Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

Lincoln Parish sits inside Louisiana (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 Parish has low food access? ▼
34.1% of residents in Lincoln Parish, LA 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 Parish? ▼
23.9% of households in Lincoln Parish receive SNAP, covering 4,411 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in Lincoln Parish, LA is 31.2%, with a median household income of $39,172 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lincoln Parish a food desert? ▼
5 of Lincoln Parish's 10 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 Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.5% of households in Lincoln Parish 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.