PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Nelson County, KY

Most of Nelson 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).

3.9%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
9.7%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

3.9% of Nelson County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
571
food-desert residents
2.3%
households, no vehicle
10.8%
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, Nelson County fares better than most: just 3.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 9 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,681 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Nelson County compares nationally

Food access in Nelson County compares favorably nationally: its 3.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 8% of them (rank #2,874).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Nelson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Nelson 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 Nelson 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: Nelson County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Nelson 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 Nelson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)43,437
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population1,681
Low-Access Share3.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population571

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Nelson County
IndicatorValue
Population47,606
Median Household Income$69,562
Poverty Rate10.8%below the national average
SNAP Households1,866
SNAP Participation Rate9.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Nelson County 9.7%

About 9.7% of Nelson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 3.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,866 households here.
  • 2.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $69,562 with a 10.8% 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 Nelson County

below 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 1,681 residents, roughly 3.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 571 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.

SNAP retailers in Nelson County

Nelson County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • 150 quick stop, bardstown
  • 31 - e food mart, bardstown
  • bardstown express, bardstown
  • blazers food mart 1, bloomfield
  • chaplin mini mart, chaplin
  • circle k 4703332, bardstown
  • culver's country kwik mart, new haven
  • fairfield grocery, fairfield
  • fast mart, bardstown
  • fivestar 1135, bardstown
  • fivestar 1493, bardstown
  • fivestar 1500, bardstown
  • fivestar 1550, bardstown
  • fivestar 1851, bardstown
  • fivestar 2265, coxs creek
  • fivestar 6610, new haven
  • handy food mart, bardstown
  • in n out food mart, bardstown
  • m & m, new haven
  • murphy usa 7111, bardstown
  • rooster run general store, coxs creek
  • speedy mart, bardstown
  • thompson's food mart, bardstown

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 0055, bloomfield
  • dollar general 8199, new haven
  • dollar general 8651, coxs creek
  • dollar general 12937, boston
  • dollar general 15753, bardstown
  • dollar general 19683, bardstown
  • dollar general 21513, coxs creek
  • dollar general 23545, bardstown
  • dollar general 31163, bardstown
  • dollar general 81, bardstown
  • dollar tree 2504, bardstown
  • walgreens 11307, bardstown

Super Store · 5

  • boone's butcher shop, bardstown
  • bardstown save a lot 23254, bardstown
  • dollar general market 12017, bardstown
  • kroger #l-00408 l408, bardstown
  • walmart s/c 729, bardstown

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • olde delaney's, bardstown

Supermarket · 1

  • houchens iga 048, new haven

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

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 Nelson County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Nelson 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 Nelson County has low food access? ▼
3.9% of residents in Nelson 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 Nelson County? ▼
9.7% of households in Nelson County receive SNAP, covering 1,866 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Nelson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Nelson County, KY is 10.8%, with a median household income of $69,562 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Nelson County a food desert? ▼
0 of Nelson 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 Nelson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.3% of households in Nelson 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.