Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Monroe County, AR
Monroe County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 28.3% low-access.
- 28.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 16.1%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Monroe County, AR
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 28.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.2 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.1% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 14.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Union County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Monroe County ranks #1,063 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #28 of 75 counties in AR (28.3% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,063
- national by low-access %
- #28
- in AR
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Monroe County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Monroe County's 28.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,063 most-affected nationwide.
Monroe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Monroe County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (2 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Monroe County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Cross
Cross 29.2%
29.2 % low-access
- Garland
Garland 29.2%
29.2 % low-access
- Newton
Newton 28.9%
28.9 % low-access
- Monroe
Monroe 28.3%
28.3 % low-access
- Union
Union 28.2%
28.2 % low-access
- Izard 0.9
Izard 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 8,149 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,308 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,221 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,589 |
| Median Household Income | $43,214 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.6%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 450 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 14.5%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
SNAP retailers in Monroe County
Monroe County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 16 authorized stores; Brinkley holds 63% of them. 1 of the 3 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Holly Grove.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Brinkley | 10 | 1 |
| Clarendon | 4 | 1 |
| Holly Grove | 2 | none |
Convenience Store · 8
- branch grove market, holly grove
- e z mart 4377, clarendon
- jordans kwik stop 85, brinkley
- maxizoom fuel stop, brinkley
- one 9 fuel stop 1330, brinkley
- road ranger 278, brinkley
- star food mart, brinkley
- zee zee retails llc, brinkley
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 0216, brinkley
- dollar general 3557, clarendon
- dollar general 24379, brinkley
- family dollar store 4154, clarendon
- family dollar store 4239, brinkley
- town and country discount, holly grove
Supermarket · 2
- edwards food giant 3443, brinkley
- mad butcher 569, clarendon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Arkansas
One of 74 counties in Arkansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Monroe County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Arkansas among West South Central states
Arkansas ranks 4th of 4 West South Central states by population-weighted low-access (24.9%). Monroe County, at 28.3%, runs 3.4 pts above the Arkansas rate.
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 Monroe County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05095. 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.