PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Mississippi

Panola County, MS

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Panola 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).

21.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
16.3%
on SNAP
33K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MS

The food-access picture

21.3% of Panola County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.4%
households, no vehicle
23.3%
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 Panola County's low-access share at 21.3%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,393 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,686 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 Panola County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Panola County's 21.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,581 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Panola County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Panola County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Panola County, MS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (50.0%) 1 tracts limited (16.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 50% Limited 17% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Panola County, MS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Panola County vs. other Mississippi counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Mississippi

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Panola County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)34,707
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population7,393
Low-Access Share21.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,686

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Panola County
IndicatorValue
Population32,808
Median Household Income$45,945
Poverty Rate23.3%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,002
SNAP Participation Rate16.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Panola County 16.3%

About 16.3% of Panola County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,002 households here.
  • 6.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Panola County

above the national share

2 of Panola County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 7,393 residents, roughly 21.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,686 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Panola County

Panola County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • batesville 51, batesville
  • batesville corner store, batesville
  • batesville market and deli inc, batesville
  • blue sky group llc, batesville
  • circle k 2721536, batesville
  • circle k 2721544, batesville
  • circle k 2723861, batesville
  • como tobacco & beer discount, como
  • courtland mini mart, courtland
  • crossroads chevron, sardis
  • dodge store 6705, batesville
  • dynasty investments none, como
  • emily market and deli, enid
  • gpm 17251, batesville
  • hilltop 2 llc, pope
  • jasco food mart llc, courtland
  • lake store, sardis
  • lee street express llc, sardis
  • love's travel stops & country stores, inc 388, batesville
  • mike's one stop llc, water valley
  • murphy usa 6545, batesville

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • dollar general 0667, sardis
  • dollar general 11608, como
  • dollar general 12081, crenshaw
  • dollar general 12278, pope
  • dollar general 12434, batesville
  • dollar general 15806, sardis
  • dollar general 23466, batesville
  • dollar general 23486, batesville
  • dollar general 24582, batesville
  • dollar tree 2560, batesville
  • family dollar 13104, sardis
  • family dollar 13506, como
  • family dollar 3246, batesville
  • walgreens 11289, batesville

Super Store · 3

  • kroger 434, batesville
  • piggly wiggly 194, batesville
  • walmart s/c 1468, batesville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • jalaram 2, llc, batesville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • pitcock meat processing inc, pope

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Mississippi

Adams County
28.3% low-access · 16.5% SNAP
Alcorn County
18.9% low-access · 16.1% SNAP
Amite County
13.9% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Attala County
27.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Benton County
35.7% low-access · 17.2% SNAP
Bolivar County
50.9% low-access · 26.0% SNAP

Compare Panola County vs Adams County → · All Mississippi counties →

Food access nationally, Mississippi in context

Panola County sits inside Mississippi (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Panola County has low food access? ▼
21.3% of residents in Panola County, MS live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Panola County? ▼
16.3% of households in Panola County receive SNAP, covering 2,002 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Panola County? ▼
The poverty rate in Panola County, MS is 23.3%, with a median household income of $45,945 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Panola County a food desert? ▼
2 of Panola County's 6 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Panola County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.4% of households in Panola County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.