PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Mississippi

Lowndes County, MS

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

32.1%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
13.1%
on SNAP
58K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MS

The food-access picture

32.1% of Lowndes County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
6.1%
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 Lowndes County's low-access share at 32.1%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 19,209 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,835 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 Lowndes County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lowndes County's 32.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #807 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lowndes County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Lowndes 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 Lowndes County, MS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts limited (21.4%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 50% Limited 21% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Lowndes County, MS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lowndes County vs. other Mississippi counties

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

% 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 Lowndes County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)59,779
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population19,209
Low-Access Share32.1%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,835

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lowndes County
IndicatorValue
Population57,838
Median Household Income$53,812
Poverty Rate17.3%above the national average
SNAP Households3,020
SNAP Participation Rate13.1%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.6%
SNAP participation in Lowndes County 13.1%

About 13.1% of Lowndes County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,020 households here.
  • 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Lowndes County

above the national share

4 of Lowndes County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 19,209 residents, roughly 32.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,835 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lowndes County

Lowndes County has 68 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 33

  • 5 star grocery, columbus
  • airbase texaco, columbus
  • b mart, columbus
  • bell ave grocery & market, columbus
  • caledonia quick stop, caledonia
  • cell gas station, columbus
  • har har bhole llc, columbus
  • jan's country store, steens
  • jay bhramani inc, caledonia
  • jisha 22 llc, columbus
  • jordan 1st, columbus
  • laxmi narayan inc, columbus
  • love's travel stop 564, columbus
  • lucky stop llc, columbus
  • military texaco, columbus
  • murphy usa 6509, columbus
  • pennyridge grocery 2, columbus
  • r&y mart, columbus
  • ravictory 1 llc, columbus
  • ready mart inc, columbus
  • river hill chevron, columbus
  • southside market, columbus
  • sprint mart 4101, columbus
  • sprint mart 4106, columbus
  • sprint mart 4107, columbus
  • sprint mart 4110, columbus
  • sprint mart 4112, columbus
  • sprint mart 4119, columbus
  • sprint mart 4135, columbus
  • sprint mart 4138, columbus
  • sprint mart 4144, columbus
  • steens superette, steens
  • us 2 deli and foodmart, columbus

Combination Grocery/Other · 26

  • dollar general 3729, columbus
  • dollar general 4334, columbus
  • dollar general 4711, columbus
  • dollar general 6120, columbus
  • dollar general 8399, columbus
  • dollar general 10265, columbus
  • dollar general 12817, columbus
  • dollar general 13197, columbus
  • dollar general 13716, columbus
  • dollar general 15134, columbus
  • dollar general 16840, steens
  • dollar general 17420, columbus
  • dollar general 17946, artesia
  • dollar general 20144, columbus
  • dollar general 20196, columbus
  • dollar general 24967, columbus
  • dollar general 25830, columbus
  • dollar general 30044, caledonia
  • dollar tree 111, columbus
  • dollar tree 1491, columbus
  • family dollar 13683, columbus
  • family dollar 13792, columbus
  • family dollar 13953, columbus
  • family dollar 7451, columbus
  • walgreens 02676, columbus
  • walgreens 17106, columbus

Super Store · 4

  • kroger 427, columbus
  • sunflower food store #44, columbus
  • sunflower food store #56, columbus
  • walmart supercenter 495, columbus

Supermarket · 2

  • caledonia shop & save, caledonia
  • food giant 584, columbus

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • piggly wiggly 20, columbus

Military Commissary · 1

  • columbus afb commissary 109, columbus

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • james fish & seafood, columbus

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Mississippi

Adams County
28.3% low-access · 16.5% SNAP
Alcorn County
18.9% low-access · 16.1% SNAP
Amite County
13.9% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Attala County
27.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Benton County
35.7% low-access · 17.2% SNAP
Bolivar County
50.9% low-access · 26.0% SNAP

Compare Lowndes County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →

Food access nationally, Mississippi in context

Lowndes County sits inside Mississippi (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 Lowndes County has low food access? ▼
32.1% of residents in Lowndes County, MS 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 Lowndes County? ▼
13.1% of households in Lowndes County receive SNAP, covering 3,020 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lowndes County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lowndes County, MS is 17.3%, with a median household income of $53,812 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lowndes County a food desert? ▼
4 of Lowndes County's 14 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 Lowndes County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.1% of households in Lowndes 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.