County food-access profile · Missouri
Morgan County, MO
Most of Morgan County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 3.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.2%
- on SNAP
- 22K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
3.2% of Morgan County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 289
- food-desert residents
- 10.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.3%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Morgan County fares better than most: just 3.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 5 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 657 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 289 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 Morgan County compares nationally
Food access in Morgan County compares favorably nationally: its 3.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,908).
Morgan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Morgan County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Morgan County vs. other Missouri counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri
- Morgan 3.2
Morgan County, MO
3.2 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, MO
27.3 % low-access
- Andrew
Andrew County, MO
15.8 % low-access
- Atchison 5.1
Atchison County, MO
5.1 % low-access
- Audrain
Audrain County, MO
22.6 % low-access
- Barry
Barry County, MO
19.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,565 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 657 |
| Low-Access Share | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 289 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,717 |
| Median Household Income | $53,412 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,059 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
About 12.2% of Morgan County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 3.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,059 households here.
- 10.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Morgan County
below the national share
1 of Morgan County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 657 residents, roughly 3.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 289 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Morgan County
Morgan County has 28 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- casey's 1115, versailles
- caseys general store 1239, stover
- fastlane laurie 62, gravois mills
- hop n go, gravois mills
- jiffy stop food mart 593, gravois mills
- jiffy stop food mart 596, versailles
- laurie eagle stop 22, gravois mills
- patriot point marina, stover
- temp-stop 105, stover
- versailles eagle stop 5, versailles
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 10411, stover
- dollar general 13332, rocky mount
- dollar general 18016, gravois mills
- dollar general 2651, versailles
- dollar general 3427, laurie
- dollar tree 7246, versailles
- sunshine foods, barnett
Supermarket · 4
- brothers market 729, cole camp
- save a lot versailles 21605, versailles
- town & country supermarket 2711, gravois mills
- town & country supermarket 2712, stover
Small Grocery Store · 3
- gem mini mall at i 12, stover
- gem stop, stover
- hoovers bulk food store, versailles
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- farmland grocery llc, syracuse
- zimmerman's produce llc, versailles
Large Grocery Store · 1
- dutch country store, barnett
Super Store · 1
- walmart sc 357, versailles
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Missouri
Compare Morgan County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Morgan County sits inside Missouri (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 Morgan County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Morgan County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Morgan County? ▼
Is Morgan County a food desert? ▼
What share of Morgan 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.