Signature · 38 SNAP-authorized stores
Phelps County, MO
Phelps 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.
- 19.0%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 45K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Phelps County, MO
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 19.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Butler County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Phelps County ranks #1,767 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #60 of 115 counties in MO (19.0% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,767
- national by low-access %
- #60
- in MO
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 38 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Phelps County compares nationally
Phelps County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.0% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,769).
Phelps County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Phelps County has 5 urban and 5 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Phelps County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Missouri, not a full county-board reprint
- Mercer
Mercer 99.8%
99.8 % low-access
- Knox 19.3
Knox 19.3%
19.3 % low-access
- Phelps 19
Phelps 19%
19 % low-access
- Butler 18.9
Butler 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Dent 18.9
Dent 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Caldwell 18.7
Caldwell 18.7%
18.7 % low-access
- Mississippi 3
Mississippi 3%
3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 45,156 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,562 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,190 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 45,194 |
| Median Household Income | $58,396 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,275 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Phelps County
Phelps County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 20
- break time convenience 3076, rolla
- break time convenience 3162, rolla
- casey's 2000, rolla
- casey's 2204, rolla
- casey's general store 3625, saint james
- dino mart, rolla
- jay laxmi llc, saint james
- loves travel stop 341, rolla
- midwest petroleum 30, saint james
- midwest petroleum 41, rolla
- midwest petroleum 42, rolla
- midwest petroleum 43, rolla
- midwest petroleum 48, rolla
- midwest petroleum 51, rolla
- mobil on the run 140, saint james
- mobil on the run 120, rolla
- quiktrip 667, rolla
- rolla motomart 3354, rolla
- stuckeys travel center, newburg
- umr motomart 3366, rolla
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- cvs pharmacy 10280, rolla
- dollar general 14352, doolittle
- dollar general 14425, rolla
- dollar general 11661, rolla
- dollar general 16778, edgar springs
- dollar general 20643, rolla
- dollar general 30399, rolla
- dollar general 31140, rolla
- dollar general 4397, saint james
- dollar tree 5156, rolla
- family dollar 12793, saint james
- walgreens 12307, rolla
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 41058, rolla
- country mart 2435, saint james
- price chopper 2423, rolla
Super Store · 2
- kroger j-537, rolla
- walmart sc 101, rolla
Small Grocery Store · 1
- the purest food market, rolla
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Missouri
One of 114 counties in Missouri, 6 are shown here.
Compare Phelps County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Nationwide peers for Phelps County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Phelps County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MO (19.0% here).
- Clark County, NV · 19.0% low-access
- Clark County, NV · 19.0% low-access
- Larue County, KY · 19.0% low-access
- Larue County, KY · 19.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MO (13.1% here).
- Hill County, MT · 13.1% SNAP
- Hill County, MT · 13.1% SNAP
- Warren County, MS · 13.1% SNAP
- Warren County, MS · 13.1% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Phelps County sits inside Missouri (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Phelps County, MO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 29161. 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.