PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Milam County, TX

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

26.1%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
11.2%
on SNAP
26K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

26.1% of Milam County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.5%
households, no vehicle
12.9%
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 Milam County's low-access share at 26.1%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,465 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,824 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 Milam County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Milam County's 26.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,210 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Milam County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Milam 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 Milam County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (14.3%) 4 tracts limited (57.1%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 14% Limited 57% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Milam County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Milam County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Milam County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,757
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,465
Low-Access Share26.1%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,824

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Milam County
IndicatorValue
Population25,567
Median Household Income$66,141
Poverty Rate12.9%near the national average
SNAP Households1,135
SNAP Participation Rate11.2%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.0%
SNAP participation in Milam County 11.2%

About 11.2% of Milam County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,135 households here.
  • 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Milam County

above the national share

2 of Milam County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 6,465 residents, roughly 26.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,824 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (14.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Milam County

Milam County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • 7-eleven 41007h, cameron
  • buckholts food mart, buckholts
  • cefco 17, cameron
  • cefco 3, cameron
  • cefco 38, rockdale
  • cefco 58, milano
  • cefco 75, thorndale
  • cameron food mart, cameron
  • coats grocery & market, gause
  • j & k grocery, thorndale
  • munchies, rockdale
  • murphy usa 7197, rockdale
  • rockdale country corner, rockdale
  • rockdale food mart, rockdale
  • rockdale food mart & kitchen, rockdale
  • smart stop, rockdale
  • sunny food mart 01, cameron

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 7729, cameron
  • dollar general 11196, thorndale
  • dollar general 3282, cameron
  • dollar general 3357, rockdale
  • dollartree 9869, rockdale
  • dollar general 22785, milano
  • dollar general 25380, cameron
  • family dollar 2601, cameron

Super Store · 3

  • brookshire brothers 0019, rockdale
  • brookshire brothers 0046, cameron
  • walmart 280, rockdale

Supermarket · 1

  • arlan's market #23, cameron

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Milam County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Milam County sits inside Texas (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 Milam County has low food access? ▼
26.1% of residents in Milam County, TX 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 Milam County? ▼
11.2% of households in Milam County receive SNAP, covering 1,135 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Milam County? ▼
The poverty rate in Milam County, TX is 12.9%, with a median household income of $66,141 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Milam County a food desert? ▼
2 of Milam County's 7 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 Milam County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.5% of households in Milam 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.