PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Perry County, KY

Most of Perry County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

1.1%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
28.6%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

1.1% of Perry County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

0
low-access tracts
236
food-desert residents
7.2%
households, no vehicle
26.8%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Perry County fares better than most: just 1.1% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 8 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 314 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Perry County compares nationally

Food access in Perry County compares favorably nationally: its 1.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 4% of them (rank #3,008).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Perry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Perry 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 Perry County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (100.0%) Adequate 100% Limited 0% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Perry County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Perry County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 Perry County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,712
Low-Access Tracts0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population314
Low-Access Share1.1%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population236

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Perry County
IndicatorValue
Population27,499
Median Household Income$42,181
Poverty Rate26.8%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,168
SNAP Participation Rate28.6%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.6%
SNAP participation in Perry County 28.6%

About 28.6% of Perry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 1.1% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 28.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,168 households here.
  • 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $42,181 with a 26.8% poverty rate.

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 Perry County

below the national share

An estimated 314 residents, roughly 1.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 236 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

None of Perry County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.

SNAP retailers in Perry County

Perry County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • apple market 538, hazard
  • apple market 539, hazard
  • bulan automotive & supply inc, viper
  • campbell's bp, hazard
  • codys corner & kristens cafe, buckhorn
  • dale noble grocery, inc., hazard
  • drews mini mart llc, bonnyman
  • ez express food mart, hazard
  • food web llc, hazard
  • front porch store 2, slemp
  • go time 8 llc 8, hazard
  • hazard double kwik #2 1050, hazard
  • hazard double kwik 2051, hazard
  • murphy usa 7061, hazard
  • pantry shelf, inc, hazard
  • perry foods, hazard
  • ramey's qwik stop, vicco
  • rameys bp 2, cornettsville
  • soggy bottom general store, viper
  • super mart, hazard
  • zip zone express 18, hazard

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 10155, hazard
  • dollar general 0077, hazard
  • dollar general 11169, hazard
  • dollar general 14409, hazard
  • dollar general 2374, hazard
  • dollar general 25194, happy
  • dollar tree 878, hazard
  • family dollar 12293, viper
  • family dollar 12434, chavies
  • family dollar store 3097, hazard
  • family dollar store 7990, scuddy
  • family dollar store 9340, hazard

Supermarket · 4

  • food city 438, hazard
  • houchens save a lot 424, hazard
  • houchens save a lot 425, hazard
  • united grocery outlet 24, hazard

Farmers' Market · 1

  • perry county farmers market, hazard

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • happy iga, happy

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • bulan meats and grocery, bulan

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 1247, hazard

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Perry County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Perry County sits inside Kentucky (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 Perry County has low food access? ▼
1.1% of residents in Perry County, KY 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 Perry County? ▼
28.6% of households in Perry County receive SNAP, covering 3,168 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Perry County? ▼
The poverty rate in Perry County, KY is 26.8%, with a median household income of $42,181 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Perry County a food desert? ▼
0 of Perry County's 8 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Perry County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.2% of households in Perry 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.