Signature · 33.3% SNAP (96th pct in KY)
McCreary County, KY
McCreary County stands out on SNAP (33.3%, +21.2 pts vs U.S.) with 2.8% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 2.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 33.3%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County McCreary County, KY
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 2.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -19.3 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 33.3% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 10.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Johnson County (+ 0.3 pts)
Lower-band low-access
McCreary County lands in the lower national band (2.8%, #2,926 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,926
- national by low-access %
- #89
- in KY
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 343
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 33.3% SNAP (96th pct in KY) (+21.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How McCreary County compares nationally
Food access in McCreary County compares favorably nationally: its 2.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,928).
McCreary County's lower-band USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, McCreary County has 0 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
McCreary County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Lyon 3.3
Lyon 3.3%
3.3 % low-access
- McLean 3.3
McLean 3.3%
3.3 % low-access
- Johnson 3.1
Johnson 3.1%
3.1 % low-access
- McCreary 2.8
McCreary 2.8%
2.8 % low-access
- Magoffin 2.4
Magoffin 2.4%
2.4 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 18,306 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 522 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 343 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,867 |
| Median Household Income | $33,750 |
| Poverty Rate | 38.9%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,954 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 33.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.8%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 10.9% |
SNAP retailers in McCreary County
McCreary County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 11
- 27 auto center, whitley city
- btmm 2 corp 1, pine knot
- good to go, pine knot
- good to go, pine knot
- l & s grocery & restaurant, stearns
- larrys #24, whitley city
- poppa's kwik stop 5, whitley city
- rons food market, parkers lake
- stop and go #23, pine knot
- whitley city food market, whitley city
- whitley city market, whitley city
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 0719, whitley city
- dollar general 18342, stearns
- dollar general 6346, pine knot
- dollar general 20422, parkers lake
- dollar general 22521, strunk
- dollar general 24017, pine knot
- family dollar store 1615, whitley city
- family dollar store 8298, pine knot
Large Grocery Store · 1
- pine knot grocery llc, pine knot
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- perkins meat & feed store, llc no, pine knot
Super Store · 1
- kroger 916, whitley city
Supermarket · 1
- houchen's save a lot 413, whitley city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare McCreary County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Counties near McCreary County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for McCreary County (33.3%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Kentucky.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (2.8% here).
- Jasper County, GA · 2.8% low-access
- Jasper County, GA · 2.8% low-access
- Grand County, CO · 2.8% low-access
- Grand County, CO · 2.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (33.3% here).
- Sunflower County, MS · 33.1% SNAP
- Holmes County, MS · 33.0% SNAP
- Claiborne Parish, LA · 33.8% SNAP
- Anson County, NC · 33.8% 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.
McCreary County inside a lower low-access state context
McCreary County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 McCreary County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21147. 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.