County food-access profile · Oklahoma
McClain County, OK
McClain 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.
- 9.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 45K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.3% of McClain County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 1.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.5%
- 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).
McClain County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.3% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,206 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 McClain County compares nationally
McClain County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.3% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,542).
McClain County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in McClain County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
McClain County vs. other Oklahoma counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oklahoma
- McClain 9.3
McClain County, OK
9.3 % low-access
- Adair 9.7
Adair County, OK
9.7 % low-access
- Alfalfa
Alfalfa County, OK
58.5 % low-access
- Atoka
Atoka County, OK
34.7 % low-access
- Beaver
Beaver County, OK
38.2 % low-access
- Beckham
Beckham County, OK
26.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 34,506 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,206 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,170 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 45,273 |
| Median Household Income | $84,552 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,281 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 1.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
About 7.8% of McClain County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,281 households here.
- 1.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $84,552 with a 8.5% poverty rate.
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 McClain County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 3,206 residents, roughly 9.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,170 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in McClain County
McClain County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- braum's 125, purcell
- braum's 154, newcastle
- braum's 308, blanchard
- dolartree plus 9068, newcastle
- dollar general 0122, newcastle
- dollar general 4984, blanchard
- dollar general 7408, purcell
- dollartree 8656, purcell
- dollar general 13662, dibble
- dollar general 16565, goldsby
- dollar general 31309, blanchard
- dollar general 31511, purcell
- dollar general store 17412, blanchard
- family dollar 13288, blanchard
- family dollar store 11004, wayne
- walgreens 10957, newcastle
- walgreens 13123, purcell
Convenience Store · 16
- allsup's 102483, blanchard
- dibble corner store, blanchard
- domino 120, blanchard
- domino 126, blanchard
- domino 130, newcastle
- handy's market, newcastle
- hop n shop #14 14, purcell
- hop n shop #16, purcell
- hop n shop #20, purcell
- hop n shop #27, wayne
- love's travel stop 712, newcastle
- love's travel stops & country stores inc 28, purcell
- murphy usa 7349, purcell
- purcell conoco, purcell
- royal brothers, newcastle
- tri city gas-n-go, newcastle
Super Store · 3
- spencer's, blanchard
- walmart 1056, newcastle
- walmart supercenter 139, purcell
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- butcher block meat market llc, newcastle
- ryker ranch, lindsay
Farmers' Market · 1
- purcell farmer's market 01, purcell
Supermarket · 1
- cash saver 379, purcell
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Oklahoma
Compare McClain County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →
Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context
McClain County sits inside Oklahoma (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 McClain County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in McClain County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in McClain County? ▼
Is McClain County a food desert? ▼
What share of McClain 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.