Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Ness County, KS
Ness County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 26.8% low-access.
- 26.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 3.3%
- on SNAP
- 3K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ness County, KS
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 26.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +4.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 3.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Butler County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Ness County ranks #1,165 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #54 of 105 counties in KS (26.8% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,165
- national by low-access %
- #54
- in KS
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 303
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Ness County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ness County's 26.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 63% of them and ranked #1,165 most-affected nationwide.
Ness County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 2 of Ness County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Ness County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Bourbon 27.5
Bourbon 27.5%
27.5 % low-access
- McPherson 27
McPherson 27%
27 % low-access
- Butler 26.9
Butler 26.9%
26.9 % low-access
- Ness 26.8
Ness 26.8%
26.8 % low-access
- Jewell 26.7
Jewell 26.7%
26.7 % low-access
- Jefferson 1.1
Jefferson 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 3,107 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 834 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.8%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 303 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,653 |
| Median Household Income | $68,616 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 38 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
Slim SNAP store book in Ness County
Ness County has 5 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 2 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 5 authorized stores are in Ness City, 1 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 14680, ness city
- family dollar 13255, ness city
Convenience Store · 1
- quick pick 9 9, ness city
Large Grocery Store · 1
- jamboree foods, ness city
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- moeder's meats - ness city, ness city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kansas
One of 104 counties in Kansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Ness County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Kansas among West North Central states
Kansas ranks 4th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Ness County, at 26.8%, runs 0.4 pts above the Kansas rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Ness County, KS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 20135. 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.