Signature · 13.5% low-access (28th pct)
Muhlenberg County, KY
Muhlenberg County lands in the lower national band on low-access (13.5%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 13.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 16.1%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Muhlenberg County, KY
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 13.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -8.6 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Bell County (+ 0.5 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Muhlenberg County lands in the lower national band (13.5%, #2,237 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,237
- national by low-access %
- #51
- in KY
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 13.5% low-access (28th pct) (-8.6 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Muhlenberg County compares nationally
Muhlenberg County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.5% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,242).
Muhlenberg County's lower-band USDA tier split
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Muhlenberg County has 2 urban and 7 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Muhlenberg County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Marion 14.7
Marion 14.7%
14.7 % low-access
- Mercer 14.7
Mercer 14.7%
14.7 % low-access
- Montgomery 14.6
Montgomery 14.6%
14.6 % low-access
- Bell 14
Bell 14%
14 % low-access
- Muhlenberg 13.5
Muhlenberg 13.5%
13.5 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 31,499 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,245 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,628 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 30,591 |
| Median Household Income | $51,927 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,948 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.3% |
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare Muhlenberg County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Counties near Muhlenberg County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Muhlenberg County, both outside Kentucky so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (13.5% here).
- Clarke County, MS · 13.5% low-access
- Clarke County, MS · 13.5% low-access
- Smith County, MS · 13.5% low-access
- Smith County, MS · 13.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (16.1% here).
- Arenac County, MI · 16.1% SNAP
- Arenac County, MI · 16.1% SNAP
- Alcorn County, MS · 16.1% SNAP
- Alcorn County, MS · 16.1% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Muhlenberg County inside a lower low-access state context
Muhlenberg County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Muhlenberg County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21177. 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.