PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Payne County, OK

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

25.3%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
10.1%
on SNAP
83K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

25.3% of Payne County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
8K
food-desert residents
5.9%
households, no vehicle
22.6%
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 Payne County's low-access share at 25.3%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 17 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 19,554 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,293 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 Payne County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Payne County's 25.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,273 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Payne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 17 census tracts in Payne 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 Payne County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 17 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (58.8%) 3 tracts limited (17.6%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (23.5%) Adequate 59% Limited 18% Severe 24% Food-access tier distribution: Payne County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Payne County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Payne County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts17
Atlas Population (2010 basis)77,350
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population19,554
Low-Access Share25.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,293

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Payne County
IndicatorValue
Population82,972
Median Household Income$49,809
Poverty Rate22.6%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,303
SNAP Participation Rate10.1%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population11.6%
SNAP participation in Payne County 10.1%

About 10.1% of Payne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,303 households here.
  • 5.9% 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 Payne County

above the national share

4 of Payne County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 23.5% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 19,554 residents, roughly 25.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,293 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (58.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Payne County

Payne County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 33

  • 7-eleven, inc. 42122h, stillwater
  • bill's e-z out, inc. 2, cushing
  • casey's 4270, cushing
  • casey's general store 3910, perkins
  • cowboy corner #4, llc, stillwater
  • cowboy corner 1, stillwater
  • cowboy corner 3, stillwater
  • cowboy stop 1, stillwater
  • e-z out store #1, cushing
  • msm 112 stores inc, yale
  • maverik 5097, cushing
  • maverik 5163, stillwater
  • msm 101 stores inc, cushing
  • msm 102 stores inc, cushing
  • msm 103 stores inc, cushing
  • msm 106 stores inc, glencoe
  • msm 108 stores inc, ripley
  • murphy usa 7973, stillwater
  • oncue express 15, perkins
  • oncue express 10, stillwater
  • oncue express 11, stillwater
  • oncue express 14, stillwater
  • oncue express 3, stillwater
  • oncue express 4, stillwater
  • oncue express 4101, perkins
  • oncue express 5, stillwater
  • oncue express 6, stillwater
  • oncue express 7, stillwater
  • oncue express 8, stillwater
  • oncue express 9, stillwater
  • shepherd's food mart 750, stillwater
  • short stop 5 7, stillwater
  • yale bulldog, yale

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • braum's 27, stillwater
  • braum's 32, stillwater
  • braum's 93, cushing
  • cvs/ pharmacy 10101, stillwater
  • dollar general 10803, yale
  • dollar general 1737, cushing
  • dollar general 1943, cushing
  • dollar general 3221, stillwater
  • dollar general 7683, perkins
  • dollar general 20385, stillwater
  • dollar general 22170, stillwater
  • dollar general 22369, stillwater
  • dollar general 23315, glencoe
  • dollar general 30264, ripley
  • dollar tree 2748, stillwater
  • dollar tree 7480, cushing
  • family dollar 12978, perkins
  • family dollar store 5117, stillwater
  • ralph's packing company, perkins
  • walgreens 05530, stillwater

Super Store · 4

  • walmart 4241, stillwater
  • walmart 5364, stillwater
  • walmart supercenter #137 0137, stillwater
  • walmart supercenter 360, cushing

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 75018, stillwater
  • homeland 469, stillwater
  • sprouts farmers market 810, stillwater
  • williams foods #4, perkins

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • bf products farm store, cushing
  • circle s meat market, cushing

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • crepe myrtle market, stillwater
  • himalayan grocery store, stillwater

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Payne County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Payne County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Payne County has low food access? ▼
25.3% of residents in Payne County, OK 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 Payne County? ▼
10.1% of households in Payne County receive SNAP, covering 3,303 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Payne County? ▼
The poverty rate in Payne County, OK is 22.6%, with a median household income of $49,809 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Payne County a food desert? ▼
4 of Payne County's 17 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 Payne County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.9% of households in Payne 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.