PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Pemiscot County, MO

Pemiscot County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

10.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
30.7%
on SNAP
15K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

10.4% of Pemiscot County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
10.5%
households, no vehicle
29.6%
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).

Pemiscot County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.4% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 1,900 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,115 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 Pemiscot County compares nationally

Pemiscot County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.4% low-access share that beats 21% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,461).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pemiscot County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Pemiscot 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 Pemiscot County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 0% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Pemiscot County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Pemiscot County vs. other Missouri counties

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

% 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 Pemiscot County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)18,296
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population1,900
Low-Access Share10.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,115

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pemiscot County
IndicatorValue
Population14,958
Median Household Income$40,089
Poverty Rate29.6%well above the national average
SNAP Households1,947
SNAP Participation Rate30.7%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.5%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.4%
SNAP participation in Pemiscot County 30.7%

About 30.7% of Pemiscot County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 10.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 30.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,947 households here.
  • 10.5% 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 Pemiscot County

near the national share

2 of Pemiscot 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.

An estimated 1,900 residents, roughly 10.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,115 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Pemiscot County

Pemiscot County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 9

  • captains food mart 19, steele
  • casey's 2072, caruthersville
  • cooter brown, caruthersville
  • cooter brown 2, steele
  • cooter general store, llc, cooter
  • j&d in and out, steele
  • jiffy jims, caruthersville
  • pilot travel center 442, hayti
  • the store, hayti

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 10941, caruthersville
  • dollar general 11399, hayti
  • dollar general 11777, steele
  • dollar tree 8343, caruthersville
  • family dollar 13263, hayti

Supermarket · 3

  • food giant 549, steele
  • hays 62, caruthersville
  • hays 63, hayti

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • manns fish market llc, caruthersville
  • manns fish market llc, caruthersville

Farmers' Market · 1

  • stan's farmers market, hayti

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • wardell food center, wardell

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Missouri

Adair County
27.3% low-access · 9.0% SNAP
Andrew County
15.8% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Atchison County
5.1% low-access · 5.8% SNAP
Audrain County
22.6% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Barry County
19.7% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Barton County
56.5% low-access · 18.5% SNAP

Compare Pemiscot County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Pemiscot County sits inside Missouri (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 Pemiscot County has low food access? ▼
10.4% of residents in Pemiscot County, MO 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 Pemiscot County? ▼
30.7% of households in Pemiscot County receive SNAP, covering 1,947 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Pemiscot County? ▼
The poverty rate in Pemiscot County, MO is 29.6%, with a median household income of $40,089 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Pemiscot County a food desert? ▼
2 of Pemiscot 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 Pemiscot County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.5% of households in Pemiscot 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.