PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

Mississippi County, AR

Mississippi County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

16.9%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
19.1%
on SNAP
39K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

16.9% of Mississippi County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
11.2%
households, no vehicle
21.1%
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).

Mississippi County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.9% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,878 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,181 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 Mississippi County compares nationally

Mississippi County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.9% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,955).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Mississippi County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Mississippi 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 Mississippi County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (66.7%) 1 tracts limited (8.3%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 67% Limited 8% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Mississippi County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Mississippi 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 Mississippi County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)46,480
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population7,878
Low-Access Share16.9%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,181

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Mississippi County
IndicatorValue
Population39,126
Median Household Income$52,548
Poverty Rate21.1%above the national average
SNAP Households2,953
SNAP Participation Rate19.1%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.2%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.0%
SNAP participation in Mississippi County 19.1%

About 19.1% of Mississippi County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,953 households here.
  • 11.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Mississippi County

near the national share

3 of Mississippi County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 7,878 residents, roughly 16.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,181 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Mississippi County

Mississippi County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • 1 stop mart, blytheville
  • amar gas llc - manila road mart, manila
  • community grocery, osceola
  • dj's mart, osceola
  • dodge store 6201, blytheville
  • ez market, blytheville
  • flash market 17177, blytheville
  • jordans kwik stop 16, blytheville
  • jordans kwik stop 53, manila
  • jordans kwik stop 69, osceola
  • leachville one stop, leachville
  • love's travel stop 671, blytheville
  • m & s fadel llc, blytheville
  • milans mini mart, osceola
  • moultrie market llc, blytheville
  • murphy usa 8514, blytheville
  • neighborhood market, blytheville
  • osceola express mart inc, osceola
  • osceola travel center, osceola
  • pj express 2, blytheville
  • pj express llc, blytheville
  • stop n by #16, luxora

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • dollar general 4689, osceola
  • dollar general 4767, manila
  • dollar general 7264, blytheville
  • dollar general 13718, blytheville
  • dollar general 18033, blytheville
  • dollar general 23776, joiner
  • dollar general 24212, luxora
  • dollar general 24695, leachville
  • dollar general 7276, blytheville
  • dollar tree 5978, blytheville
  • dollartree 6462, osceola
  • family dollar 12842, osceola
  • family dollar 13396, manila
  • family dollar 13842, leachville
  • family dollar 4378, blytheville
  • walgreens 15788, blytheville

Super Store · 3

  • kroger food & pharmacy 465, blytheville
  • walmart 74, osceola
  • walmart supercenter 62, blytheville

Supermarket · 3

  • hays 15, osceola
  • hays 39, blytheville
  • hays 45, blytheville

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • farmers market 2718, manila
  • gunns fresh market 1, wilson

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • big daddy's outlet, osceola
  • george's grocery, luxora

Farmers' Market · 1

  • osceola main street farmers market ffab, osceola

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 Mississippi County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

Mississippi 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 Mississippi County has low food access? ▼
16.9% of residents in Mississippi 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 Mississippi County? ▼
19.1% of households in Mississippi County receive SNAP, covering 2,953 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Mississippi County? ▼
The poverty rate in Mississippi County, AR is 21.1%, with a median household income of $52,548 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Mississippi County a food desert? ▼
3 of Mississippi 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 Mississippi County households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.2% of households in Mississippi 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.