Signature · 1 LILA tracts (25% of tracts)
Marion County, KS
Marion County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (25% of the book) alongside 23.7% low-access.
- 23.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.1%
- on SNAP
- 12K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Marion County, KS
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 23.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.6 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Shawnee County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Marion County ranks #1,384 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #68 of 105 counties in KS (23.7% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,384
- national by low-access %
- #68
- in KS
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (25% of tracts) .
How Marion County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Marion County's 23.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,384 most-affected nationwide.
Marion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 4 of Marion County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Marion County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Labette 24.2
Labette 24.2%
24.2 % low-access
- Ford 23.9
Ford 23.9%
23.9 % low-access
- Shawnee 23.8
Shawnee 23.8%
23.8 % low-access
- Marion 23.7
Marion 23.7%
23.7 % low-access
- Osborne 23.1
Osborne 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Jefferson 1.1
Jefferson 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 12,660 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,001 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,278 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 11,754 |
| Median Household Income | $64,695 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 290 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.3% |
SNAP retailers in Marion County
Marion County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 10 authorized stores; Hillsboro holds 30% of them. 3 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Marion, Florence, Goessel.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro | 3 | 1 |
| Marion | 3 | none |
| Peabody | 2 | 1 |
| Florence | 1 | none |
| Goessel | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- carlsons grocery inc, marion
- dollar general 0579, hillsboro
- dollar general 16333, marion
- dollar general 18138, peabody
Convenience Store · 4
- casey's 1481, hillsboro
- casey's general store 1931, marion
- goessel grocery & deli llc, goessel
- jump start 38, florence
Large Grocery Store · 1
- dales supermarket, hillsboro
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- peabody grocery, inc., peabody
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kansas
One of 104 counties in Kansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Marion County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Nationwide peers for Marion County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Marion County, both outside Kansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KS (23.7% here).
- Pulaski County, KY · 23.7% low-access
- Freeborn County, MN · 23.7% low-access
- Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK · 23.7% low-access
- Muskingum County, OH · 23.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KS (6.1% here).
- Warren County, IA · 6.1% SNAP
- Madison County, IA · 6.1% SNAP
- Franklin County, ID · 6.1% SNAP
- Dodge County, MN · 6.1% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Kansas among West North Central states
Kansas ranks 4th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Marion County, at 23.7%, runs 2.7 pts below the Kansas rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Marion County, KS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 20115. 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.