County food-access profile · Arkansas
Lonoke County, AR
Lonoke County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 16.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.1%
- on SNAP
- 75K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.4% of Lonoke County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 4.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.4%
- 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).
Lonoke County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.4% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 11,244 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,621 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 Lonoke County compares nationally
Lonoke County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.4% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,001).
Lonoke County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 16 census tracts in Lonoke County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lonoke County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Lonoke 16.4
Lonoke County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 68,356 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,244 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,621 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 75,272 |
| Median Household Income | $72,828 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,037 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 7.1% of Lonoke County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,037 households here.
- 4.1% 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 Lonoke County
near the national share
1 of Lonoke County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.3% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 11,244 residents, roughly 16.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,621 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (68.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lonoke County
Lonoke County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 24 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 24
- dollar general 13800, austin
- dollar general 14550, cabot
- dollar general 14793, lonoke
- dollar general 18441, cabot
- dollar general 3100, cabot
- dollar general 3157, england
- dollar general 7895, ward
- dollar general 11892, lonoke
- dollar general 15978, ward
- dollar general 16784, austin
- dollar general 20751, lonoke
- dollar general 21937, humnoke
- dollar general 22417, cabot
- dollar general 22734, cabot
- dollar general 25560, cabot
- dollar general 31000, austin
- dollar general 31098, cabot
- dollar general 31129, scott
- dollar general 7013, carlisle
- dollar tree 1062, cabot
- dollar tree 6043, lonoke
- family dollar 13782, lonoke
- family dollar store 11116, cabot
- walgreens 10059, cabot
Convenience Store · 19
- 1324 w main llc - corner store - valero, cabot
- casey's 5158, humnoke
- cabot travel plaza, cabot
- casey's general store 3699, cabot
- circle k store 2709974, ward
- circle k store 2709983, cabot
- citgo sultan inc, ward
- crackerbox 2741791, lonoke
- dude's place, austin
- furlow hamburger joint, lonoke
- jordans kwik stop 43, carlisle
- jordans kwik stop 45, lonoke
- la bendicion market, cabot
- maverik 5209, cabot
- murphy usa 7879, cabot
- ninar llc, ward
- pride one stop ,llc, cabot
- ward mart, ward
- wildcat ch hub, cabot
Super Store · 6
- harps food store 114, cabot
- harps food store 356, england
- kroger food & pharmacy 613, cabot
- walmart 169, lonoke
- walmart 2587, cabot
- walmart neighborhood market 6975, cabot
Large Grocery Store · 1
- city market 3458, carlisle
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- cabot meat market, cabot
Small Grocery Store · 1
- bikol express oriental market 1, cabot
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 41096, cabot
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Lonoke County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Lonoke County sits inside Arkansas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Lonoke County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lonoke County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lonoke County? ▼
Is Lonoke County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lonoke County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.