County food-access profile · Arkansas
Ouachita County, AR
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ouachita 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).
- 34.7%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 14.8%
- on SNAP
- 22K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.7% of Ouachita County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 9.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.9%
- 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 Ouachita County's low-access share at 34.7%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,054 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,741 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 Ouachita County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ouachita County's 34.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #612 most-affected nationwide.
Ouachita County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Ouachita County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Ouachita County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Ouachita
Ouachita County, AR
34.7 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 26,120 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,054 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,741 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 22,085 |
| Median Household Income | $49,268 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,279 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.8%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 14.8% of Ouachita County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,279 households here.
- 9.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Ouachita County
above the national share
4 of Ouachita County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 66.7% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 9,054 residents, roughly 34.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,741 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
SNAP retailers in Ouachita County
Ouachita 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
- bearden travel center, bearden
- express lane, camden
- kc's kwik stop, camden
- littlefield express 918, camden
- littlefield express 920, camden
- littlefield express 921, camden
- littlefield express 922, camden
- littlefieldexpress #19 919, camden
- maverik 5356, fayetteville
- murphy usa 7473, camden
- stephens pitstop, stephens
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 0980, camden
- dollar general 1060, camden
- dollar general 15002, bearden
- dollar general 16259, camden
- dollar general 17522, stephens
- dollar general 22204, chidester
- dollar general 22437, camden
- dollar tree 4746, camden
Supermarket · 4
- mac's cash saver 16, camden
- mac's cash saver 17, camden
- southern market 386, camden
- super 1 foods 651, camden
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- bottom dollar mercantile, bearden
Super Store · 1
- walmart 171, camden
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Ouachita County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Ouachita County sits inside Arkansas (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 Ouachita County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ouachita County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Ouachita County? ▼
Is Ouachita County a food desert? ▼
What share of Ouachita 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.