PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

Natchitoches Parish, LA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Natchitoches Parish residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

27.9%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
19.5%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

27.9% of Natchitoches Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
9.3%
households, no vehicle
25.4%
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).

USDA data puts Natchitoches Parish's low-access share at 27.9%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,019 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,040 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 Natchitoches Parish compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Natchitoches Parish's 27.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,093 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Natchitoches Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Natchitoches Parish, 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 Natchitoches Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (33.3%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (55.6%) Adequate 33% Limited 11% Severe 56% Food-access tier distribution: Natchitoches Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Natchitoches Parish vs. other Louisiana counties

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

% 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 Natchitoches Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,566
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population11,019
Low-Access Share27.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,040

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Natchitoches Parish
IndicatorValue
Population36,693
Median Household Income$46,292
Poverty Rate25.4%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,833
SNAP Participation Rate19.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.3%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.5%
SNAP participation in Natchitoches Parish 19.5%

About 19.5% of Natchitoches Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,833 households here.
  • 9.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Natchitoches Parish

above the national share

5 of Natchitoches Parish's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 55.6% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 11,019 residents, roughly 27.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,040 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Natchitoches Parish

Natchitoches Parish has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 14 locations (41% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • dollar general 0654, natchitoches
  • dollar general 10313, natchitoches
  • dollar general 18751, clarence
  • dollar general 11644, campti
  • dollar general 12806, robeline
  • dollar general 15395, natchitoches
  • dollar general 15820, natchez
  • dollar general 20970, provencal
  • dollar general 24313, coushatta
  • dollar tree 1996, natchitoches
  • family dollar 12597, robeline
  • family dollar 655, natchitoches
  • family dollar 9136, natchitoches
  • walgreens 09485, natchitoches

Convenience Store · 13

  • all n 1 food store #1, natchitoches
  • all n 1 food store #3, campti
  • campti quick stop, campti
  • foodmart, provencal
  • keys convenience store, campti
  • murphy usa 5662, natchitoches
  • shoprite 74, natchitoches
  • sibley lake one stop, natchitoches
  • sullivans quick stop, campti
  • super stop, natchitoches
  • the store, goldonna
  • usa mart, natchitoches
  • victors lakeside one stop, campti

Supermarket · 4

  • piggly wiggly cost plus lakeshore 23713, natchitoches
  • super 1 foods 604, natchitoches
  • super 1 foods 613, natchitoches
  • super 1 foods 614, natchitoches

Farmers' Market · 1

  • nachitoches farmers market, natchitoches

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • troy's butcher shop, provencal

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 170, natchitoches

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Louisiana

Acadia Parish
6.6% low-access · 24.4% SNAP
Allen Parish
28.1% low-access · 26.5% SNAP
Ascension Parish
42.3% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Assumption Parish
0.9% low-access · 19.9% SNAP
Avoyelles Parish
20.5% low-access · 27.9% SNAP
Beauregard Parish
55.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Natchitoches Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

Natchitoches Parish sits inside Louisiana (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 Natchitoches Parish has low food access? ▼
27.9% of residents in Natchitoches Parish, LA 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 Natchitoches Parish? ▼
19.5% of households in Natchitoches Parish receive SNAP, covering 2,833 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Natchitoches Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in Natchitoches Parish, LA is 25.4%, with a median household income of $46,292 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Natchitoches Parish a food desert? ▼
5 of Natchitoches Parish's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Natchitoches Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.3% of households in Natchitoches Parish 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.