PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Muhlenberg County, KY

Muhlenberg 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.

13.5%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
16.1%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

13.5% of Muhlenberg County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
18.4%
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).

Muhlenberg County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.5% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,245 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 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).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Muhlenberg County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Muhlenberg 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 Muhlenberg County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (88.9%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) Adequate 89% Limited 11% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Muhlenberg County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Muhlenberg County vs. other Kentucky counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky

% 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 Muhlenberg County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)31,499
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population4,245
Low-Access Share13.5%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,628

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Muhlenberg County
IndicatorValue
Population30,591
Median Household Income$51,927
Poverty Rate18.4%above the national average
SNAP Households1,948
SNAP Participation Rate16.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.3%
SNAP participation in Muhlenberg County 16.1%

About 16.1% of Muhlenberg County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,948 households here.
  • 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $51,927 with a 18.4% poverty rate.

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 Muhlenberg County

near the national share

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

An estimated 4,245 residents, roughly 13.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,628 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Muhlenberg County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Muhlenberg County sits inside Kentucky (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 Muhlenberg County has low food access? ▼
13.5% of residents in Muhlenberg County, KY 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 Muhlenberg County? ▼
16.1% of households in Muhlenberg County receive SNAP, covering 1,948 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Muhlenberg County? ▼
The poverty rate in Muhlenberg County, KY is 18.4%, with a median household income of $51,927 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Muhlenberg County a food desert? ▼
0 of Muhlenberg County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Muhlenberg County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Muhlenberg 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.