PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

Miller County, AR

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

27.1%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
15.7%
on SNAP
42K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

27.1% of Miller County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
8.5%
households, no vehicle
24.6%
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 Miller County's low-access share at 27.1%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,771 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,323 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 Miller County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Miller County's 27.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,142 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Miller County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Miller 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 Miller County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 50% Limited 33% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Miller County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Miller County vs. other Arkansas counties

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

% 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 Miller County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)43,462
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population11,771
Low-Access Share27.1%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,323

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Miller County
IndicatorValue
Population42,360
Median Household Income$48,836
Poverty Rate24.6%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,563
SNAP Participation Rate15.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.5%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.0%
SNAP participation in Miller County 15.7%

About 15.7% of Miller County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,563 households here.
  • 8.5% 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 Miller County

above the national share

2 of Miller County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% 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 11,771 residents, roughly 27.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,323 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Miller County

Miller County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • captains food mart 31, texarkana
  • circle k 2706345, texarkana
  • dk 13903, texarkana
  • e-z mart 4331, texarkana
  • e-z mart 4363, texarkana
  • e-z mart 4213, fouke
  • e-z mart 4214, texarkana
  • e-z mart 4223, texarkana
  • e-z mart 4400, texarkana
  • e-z mart 4418, texarkana
  • ez fuel stop 100, texarkana
  • fast track texarkana, texarkana
  • fouke monster mart, fouke
  • j mart, texarkana
  • motiz gas station, texarkana
  • murphy usa 7929, texarkana
  • pilot travel center 606, texarkana
  • purifoy grocery, texarkana
  • raceway texarkana, texarkana
  • route 67 stop 1, texarkana
  • sana mart, texarkana

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • cvs/ pharmacy 10019, texarkana
  • dollar general 13873, texarkana
  • dollar general 18532, texarkana
  • dollar general 2635, texarkana
  • dollar general 6119, texarkana
  • dollar general 15381, texarkana
  • dollar general 18081, texarkana
  • dollar general 22661, texarkana
  • dollar general 279, fouke
  • dollar general 30726, texarkana
  • dollar general 3672, texarkana
  • dollar tree 4911, texarkana
  • family dollar 1295, texarkana
  • family dollar 13128, fouke
  • family dollar 3539, texarkana
  • family dollar 3790, texarkana
  • sta bos meat market, texarkana

Supermarket · 3

  • albertsons 0611, texarkana
  • cash saver 5057, texarkana
  • save-a-lot 23264, texarkana

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • lagniappe specialty meats, texarkana

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • mojo fresh fish market, texarkana

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 468, texarkana

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arkansas

Arkansas County
47.0% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Ashley County
21.8% low-access · 13.2% SNAP
Baxter County
16.4% low-access · 8.5% SNAP
Benton County
24.9% low-access · 3.9% SNAP
Boone County
20.9% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Bradley County
23.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Miller County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

Miller County sits inside Arkansas (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 Miller County has low food access? ▼
27.1% of residents in Miller County, AR 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 Miller County? ▼
15.7% of households in Miller County receive SNAP, covering 2,563 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Miller County? ▼
The poverty rate in Miller County, AR is 24.6%, with a median household income of $48,836 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Miller County a food desert? ▼
2 of Miller County's 12 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 Miller County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.5% of households in Miller 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.