County food-access profile · Mississippi
Monroe County, MS
Monroe 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.
- 8.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.6% of Monroe County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.0%
- 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).
Monroe County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.6% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,198 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,431 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 Monroe County compares nationally
Monroe County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.6% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,597).
Monroe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Monroe County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Monroe County vs. other Mississippi counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Mississippi
- Monroe 8.6
Monroe County, MS
8.6 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, MS
28.3 % low-access
- Alcorn
Alcorn County, MS
18.9 % low-access
- Amite 13.9
Amite County, MS
13.9 % low-access
- Attala
Attala County, MS
27.1 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, MS
35.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,989 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,198 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,431 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 33,747 |
| Median Household Income | $51,866 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,821 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 13.1% of Monroe County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,821 households here.
- 5.2% 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 Monroe County
near the national share
2 of Monroe County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 3,198 residents, roughly 8.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,431 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Monroe County
Monroe County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 16 locations (53% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 16
- dollar general 0804, amory
- dollar general 10950, aberdeen
- dollar general 8886, caledonia
- dollartree 8193, amory
- dollar general 13279, smithville
- dollar general 17605, aberdeen
- dollar general 17646, amory
- dollar general 21102, amory
- dollar general 21110, nettleton
- dollar general 25835, amory
- dollar general 30291, nettleton
- dollar general 7301, hamilton
- family dollar 12872, hamilton
- family dollar 4127, aberdeen
- walgreens 12750, amory
- walgreens 17341, aberdeen
Convenience Store · 10
- aberdeen mini mart llc, aberdeen
- bluesky 732, amory
- lackey quick stop llc, aberdeen
- mr market and deli #2 inc, amory
- murphy usa 7755, amory
- quick shop llc, aberdeen
- s & h chevron llc, nettleton
- sprint mart 4104, hamilton
- sprint mart 7, amory
- texaco one stop, aberdeen
Supermarket · 3
- food giant 586, aberdeen
- food giant 587, amory
- freshly's market, aberdeen
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 118, amory
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Mississippi
Compare Monroe County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →
Food access nationally, Mississippi in context
Monroe County sits inside Mississippi (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Monroe County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Monroe County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Monroe County? ▼
Is Monroe County a food desert? ▼
What share of Monroe County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.