PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

McCracken County, KY

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

38.9%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
10.0%
on SNAP
68K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

38.9% of McCracken County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

13
low-access tracts
10K
food-desert residents
6.2%
households, no vehicle
15.2%
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).

USDA data puts McCracken County's low-access share at 38.9%, above the national share. 13 of the county's 17 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 25,493 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,948 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 McCracken County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, McCracken County's 38.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #444 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

McCracken County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 17 census tracts in McCracken 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 McCracken County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 7 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 17 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (23.5%) 7 tracts limited (41.2%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (35.3%) Adequate 24% Limited 41% Severe 35% Food-access tier distribution: McCracken County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

McCracken County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 McCracken County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts17
Atlas Population (2010 basis)65,565
Low-Access Tracts13
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population25,493
Low-Access Share38.9%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,948

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for McCracken County
IndicatorValue
Population67,564
Median Household Income$64,373
Poverty Rate15.2%near the national average
SNAP Households2,750
SNAP Participation Rate10.0%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in McCracken County 10.0%

About 10.0% of McCracken County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 38.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,750 households here.
  • 6.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 McCracken County

above the national share

6 of McCracken County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 35.3% of all its tracts.

A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 13.

An estimated 25,493 residents, roughly 38.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,948 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (23.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in McCracken County

McCracken County has 68 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 29

  • 7 hill station, west paducah
  • corner mart, paducah
  • fivestar 7616, paducah
  • fivestar 7620, paducah
  • fivestar 7621, paducah
  • fivestar 7622, paducah
  • fivestar 7624, paducah
  • fivestar 7625, paducah
  • fivestar 7626, paducah
  • fivestar 7627, paducah
  • fivestar 7675, paducah
  • huck's 377, paducah
  • huck's 378, paducah
  • huck's 406, paducah
  • huck's food & fuel 365, paducah
  • ideal market 19, paducah
  • in n out market place, paducah
  • jignesh inc, paducah
  • max's 135, paducah
  • max's 138, paducah
  • minit mart 4464, paducah
  • murphy express 8580, paducah
  • murphy usa 5701, paducah
  • pockets 117, paducah
  • reidland mart na, paducah
  • rhodes convenience stores, inc 460, paducah
  • rhodes convenience stores, inc. 450, paducah
  • rhodes convenience stores, inc. 455, paducah
  • sonny's food mart # 2, paducah

Combination Grocery/Other · 26

  • cvs pharmacy 2586, paducah
  • cvs pharmacy 6376, paducah
  • cvs pharmacy 6379, paducah
  • dollar general 19640, paducah
  • dollar general 2095, paducah
  • dollar general 2115, paducah
  • dollar general 3691, paducah
  • dollar general 4146, paducah
  • dollar general 7770, paducah
  • dollar general 12312, kevil
  • dollar general 12746, paducah
  • dollar general 15157, paducah
  • dollar general 15883, paducah
  • dollar general 20963, paducah
  • dollar general 25210, paducah
  • dollar general store 17656, paducah
  • dollar tree 1940, paducah
  • dollar tree 3318, paducah
  • dollar tree 7302, paducah
  • family dollar store 1751, paducah
  • family dollar store 3973, paducah
  • family dollar 10081, paducah
  • family dollar store 6321, paducah
  • garrett farms, paducah
  • walgreen 09253, paducah
  • walgreens 06429, paducah

Super Store · 7

  • kroger 250, paducah
  • kroger 338, paducah
  • kroger 414, paducah
  • sam's club 6449, paducah
  • super valu foods - 001 001, paducah
  • walmart 431, paducah
  • walmart s/c 491, paducah

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 63, paducah
  • food giant 512, paducah
  • super valu foods - 002 002, paducah

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • hughes market & meat processing inc., west paducah

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • paducah fish market, paducah

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • bnu outlet, paducah

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare McCracken County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

McCracken County sits inside Kentucky (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 McCracken County has low food access? ▼
38.9% of residents in McCracken County, KY 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 McCracken County? ▼
10.0% of households in McCracken County receive SNAP, covering 2,750 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in McCracken County? ▼
The poverty rate in McCracken County, KY is 15.2%, with a median household income of $64,373 (Census ACS 2024).
Is McCracken County a food desert? ▼
6 of McCracken County's 17 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 McCracken County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.2% of households in McCracken 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.