Signature · 0.6% low-access (3rd pct)
Nicholas County, KY
Nicholas County lands in the lower national band on low-access (0.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 0.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 15.5%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Nicholas County, KY
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 0.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -21.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.5% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 11.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Bracken County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Nicholas County lands in the lower national band (0.6%, #3,042 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #3,042
- national by low-access %
- #105
- in KY
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 21
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 0.6% low-access (3rd pct) (-21.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Nicholas County compares nationally
Food access in Nicholas County compares favorably nationally: its 0.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 3% of them (rank #3,047).
Nicholas County's lower-band USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Nicholas County has 0 urban and 2 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.
Nicholas 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
- Shelby 0.7
Shelby 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
- Nicholas 0.6
Nicholas 0.6%
0.6 % low-access
- Bracken 0.6
Bracken 0.6%
0.6 % low-access
- Pendleton 0.6
Pendleton 0.6%
0.6 % low-access
- Rockcastle 0.5
Rockcastle 0.5%
0.5 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,135 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 42 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 21 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,708 |
| Median Household Income | $59,531 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.6%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 430 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 11.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Nicholas County
Nicholas County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 2210, carlisle
- dollar general 30762, carlisle
- dollar general 30847, carlisle
- family dollar 6895, carlisle
Convenience Store · 4
- carlisle 1st stop 103, carlisle
- ians market 128, carlisle
- ians market 129, carlisle
- shiv 2015, carlisle
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- bourbon barrel beef, carlisle
Supermarket · 1
- save a lot carlisle 21599, carlisle
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare Nicholas County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Nicholas County inside a lower low-access state context
Nicholas 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 Nicholas County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21181. 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.