County food-access profile · Kentucky
Oldham County, KY
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Oldham County 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).
- 38.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 3.4%
- on SNAP
- 69K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
38.8% of Oldham County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 1.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 4.3%
- 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 Oldham County's low-access share at 38.8%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 23,375 people. 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 Oldham County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Oldham County's 38.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #449 most-affected nationwide.
Oldham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Oldham County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Oldham County vs. other Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Oldham
Oldham County, KY
38.8 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren 15.5
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 60,316 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 23,375 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,041 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 69,257 |
| Median Household Income | $122,497 |
| Poverty Rate | 4.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 774 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.4%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 1.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.7% |
About 3.4% of Oldham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 38.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 3.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 774 households here.
- 1.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $122,497 with a 4.3% 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 Oldham County
above the national share
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 23,375 residents, roughly 38.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,041 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Oldham County
Oldham County has 25 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 11
- a one food mart, crestwood
- circle k 2723260, la grange
- circle k 2723304, crestwood
- circle k 2723305, crestwood
- eastway market 21, la grange
- fivestar 2275, crestwood
- la grange hop shop 1412, la grange
- lagrange food store, la grange
- murphy usa 7606, la grange
- speedway 9333, la grange
- thorntons 46, buckner
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- crestwood meats, crestwood
- cvs pharmacy 6244, crestwood
- dollar general 2690, crestwood
- dollar general 7110, la grange
- dollar general 25088, la grange
- dollar tree 5288, la grange
- dollar tree 8514, crestwood
- walgreens 10507, la grange
Super Store · 4
- kroger #l-00394 l394, lagrange
- kroger 794, la grange
- walmart store 1053, lagrange
- walmart supercenter 7290, crestwood
Small Grocery Store · 1
- tres hermanos 1, la grange
Supermarket · 1
- crossroads iga 785, prospect
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Oldham County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Oldham County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Oldham County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Oldham County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Oldham County? ▼
Is Oldham County a food desert? ▼
What share of Oldham County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.