PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Mayes County, OK

Mayes 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.

12.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
14.1%
on SNAP
40K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

12.6% of Mayes County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
16.2%
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).

Mayes County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.6% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,191 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,264 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 Mayes County compares nationally

Mayes County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.6% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,298).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Mayes County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Mayes 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 Mayes County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 67% Limited 22% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Mayes County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Mayes 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 Mayes County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,259
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population5,191
Low-Access Share12.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,264

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Mayes County
IndicatorValue
Population39,604
Median Household Income$60,305
Poverty Rate16.2%above the national average
SNAP Households2,160
SNAP Participation Rate14.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Mayes County 14.1%

About 14.1% of Mayes County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,160 households here.
  • 4.5% 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 Mayes County

near the national share

1 of Mayes County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 5,191 residents, roughly 12.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,264 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Mayes County

Mayes County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • casey's 3429, adair
  • chezzie's disney, disney
  • dam stop, langley
  • e-z mart 4410, chouteau
  • e-z mart 4411, pryor
  • grand slam #7, ketchum
  • littlefield express 29, chouteau
  • love's travel stops & country stores, inc 295, chouteau
  • maverik 5099, locust grove
  • maverik 5353, pryor
  • murphy usa 7187, pryor
  • okie dokie, pryor
  • pryor sinclar, pryor
  • pirates git-n-split, locust grove
  • prime stop food n fuel 3 inc 3, pryor
  • prime stop food n fuel inc., pryor
  • quiktrip 43, chouteau
  • stephenson's oil co inc 1, salina
  • speedy's 4543, langley
  • stephenson's oil company inc 6, pryor
  • t general store, spavinaw
  • woodshed of ketchum, llc, ketchum
  • woodshed subway langley, llc, langley

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • braum's 117, pryor
  • dollar general 0593, pryor
  • dollar general 1010, locust grove
  • dollar general 10183, chouteau
  • dollar general 10197, salina
  • dollar general 4709, pryor
  • dollar general 7348, langley
  • dollar general 13340, adair
  • dollar general 13398, ketchum
  • dollar general 19796, strang
  • dollar tree 4565, pryor
  • dollar tree 6746, locust grove
  • walgreens 15763, pryor

Super Store · 4

  • harps food store 182, salina
  • harps food store 550, chouteau
  • walmart 22, pryor
  • walmart neighborhood market 3723, locust grove

Farmers' Market · 3

  • chouteau farmers market, chouteau
  • saturday market - langley ok, langley
  • the homestead at 'possum junction, strang

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • adair custom processing, adair
  • mayes county processing, pryor

Supermarket · 2

  • homeland 539, pryor
  • reasor's 906, langley

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • ropps discount grocery, chouteau

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • grow green garden supplies, locust grove

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 Mayes County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Mayes 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 Mayes County has low food access? ▼
12.6% of residents in Mayes 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 Mayes County? ▼
14.1% of households in Mayes County receive SNAP, covering 2,160 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Mayes County? ▼
The poverty rate in Mayes County, OK is 16.2%, with a median household income of $60,305 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Mayes County a food desert? ▼
1 of Mayes County's 9 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 Mayes County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Mayes 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.