Signature · 10.9% SNAP (18th pct in KY)
Mercer County, KY
Mercer County lands in the lower national band on low-access (14.7%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 14.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 10.9%
- on SNAP
- 23K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Mercer County, KY
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 14.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -7.4 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 10.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Marion County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Mercer County lands in the lower national band (14.7%, #2,139 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,139
- national by low-access %
- #48
- in KY
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 10.9% SNAP (18th pct in KY) (-1.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Mercer County compares nationally
Mercer County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.7% low-access share that beats 32% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,139).
Mercer County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Mercer County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Mercer 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
- Livingston 15.4
Livingston 15.4%
15.4 % low-access
- Mercer 14.7
Mercer 14.7%
14.7 % low-access
- Marion 14.7
Marion 14.7%
14.7 % low-access
- Montgomery 14.6
Montgomery 14.6%
14.6 % low-access
- Bell 14
Bell 14%
14 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,331 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,142 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,148 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,028 |
| Median Household Income | $64,824 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,004 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
SNAP retailers in Mercer County
Mercer County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 10 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 22 authorized stores; Harrodsburg holds 82% of them. 2 of the 3 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Burgin, Salvisa.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Harrodsburg | 18 | 2 |
| Burgin | 2 | none |
| Salvisa | 2 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- cvs pharmacy 6348, harrodsburg
- dollar general 0075, harrodsburg
- dollar general 10394, burgin
- dollar general 11962, salvisa
- dollar general 17294, harrodsburg
- dollar general 25360, harrodsburg
- dollar general 30810, harrodsburg
- dollar general 31397, harrodsburg
- dollar tree 3875, harrodsburg
- harvest fresh meat and market, harrodsburg
Convenience Store · 9
- apple market 540, harrodsburg
- burgin food & fuel, burgin
- danville food mart, harrodsburg
- fivestar 4440, harrodsburg
- harrodsburg marathon, harrodsburg
- harry's market, harrodsburg
- minit mart 4436, harrodsburg
- old bridge general store 2, salvisa
- redi mart 40, harrodsburg
Super Store · 2
- kroger #l-00363 l363, harrodsburg
- walmart supercenter 519, harrodsburg
Small Grocery Store · 1
- c&t food mart, harrodsburg
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 Mercer County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Counties near Mercer County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Mercer County (10.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Kentucky.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (14.7% here).
- St. Martin Parish, LA · 14.7% low-access
- Calaveras County, CA · 14.7% low-access
- Door County, WI · 14.7% low-access
- Newton County, IN · 14.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (10.9% here).
- Atchison County, KS · 10.9% SNAP
- Grundy County, IL · 10.9% SNAP
- Pine County, MN · 10.9% SNAP
- Gage County, NE · 10.9% 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.
Kentucky among East South Central states
Kentucky ranks 4th of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (19.8%). Mercer County, at 14.7%, runs 5.1 pts below the Kentucky rate.
- Tennessee 27.2%
- Mississippi 26.4%
- Alabama 24.5%
- Kentucky 19.8%
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 Mercer County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21167. 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.