Signature · 37.8% SNAP (100th pct in KY)
Owsley County, KY
Owsley County stands out on SNAP (37.8%, +25.7 pts vs U.S.) with 2.3% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 2.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 37.8%
- on SNAP
- 4K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Owsley County, KY
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 2.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -19.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 37.8% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 16.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Magoffin County (+ 0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Owsley County lands in the lower national band (2.3%, #2,949 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,949
- national by low-access %
- #91
- in KY
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 66
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 37.8% SNAP (100th pct in KY) (+25.7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Owsley County compares nationally
Food access in Owsley County compares favorably nationally: its 2.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 6% of them (rank #2,949).
Owsley County's lower-band USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 2 of Owsley 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.
Owsley 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
- Magoffin 2.4
Magoffin 2.4%
2.4 % low-access
- Owsley 2.3
Owsley 2.3%
2.3 % low-access
- Martin 2
Martin 2%
2 % low-access
- Cumberland 1.9
Cumberland 1.9%
1.9 % low-access
- Rowan 1.8
Rowan 1.8%
1.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 4,755 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 108 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 66 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,971 |
| Median Household Income | $22,188 |
| Poverty Rate | 36.1%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 593 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 37.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 16.3%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
SNAP retailers in Owsley County
Owsley County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 3 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 9 authorized stores; Booneville holds 89% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Island City.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Booneville | 8 | 1 |
| Island City | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 7112, booneville
- dollar general 24873, booneville
- family dollar store 733, booneville
Convenience Store · 3
- booneville bp, booneville
- booneville foodmart, booneville
- lerose mini mart, booneville
Farmers' Market · 1
- owsley county farmers market, booneville
Small Grocery Store · 1
- thomas callahan grocery, island city
Supermarket · 1
- booneville shopwise, booneville
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 Owsley County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Kentucky among East South Central states
Kentucky ranks 4th of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (19.8%). Owsley County, at 2.3%, runs 17.5 pts below the Kentucky rate.
- Tennessee 27.2%
- Mississippi 26.4%
- Alabama 24.5%
- Kentucky 19.8%
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 Owsley County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21189. 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.