PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

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 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

19.0% of Phelps County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.1%
households, no vehicle
16.8%
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).

Phelps County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.0% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,562 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,190 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 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).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Phelps County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Phelps 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 Phelps County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts limited (30.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 30% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Phelps County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Phelps 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 Phelps County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,156
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population8,562
Low-Access Share19.0%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,190

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Phelps County
IndicatorValue
Population45,194
Median Household Income$58,396
Poverty Rate16.8%above the national average
SNAP Households2,275
SNAP Participation Rate13.1%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.8%
SNAP participation in Phelps County 13.1%

About 13.1% of Phelps County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,275 households here.
  • 6.1% 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 Phelps County

near the national share

2 of Phelps County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,562 residents, roughly 19.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,190 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 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 Phelps County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Phelps 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 Phelps County has low food access? ▼
19.0% of residents in Phelps 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 Phelps County? ▼
13.1% of households in Phelps County receive SNAP, covering 2,275 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Phelps County? ▼
The poverty rate in Phelps County, MO is 16.8%, with a median household income of $58,396 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Phelps County a food desert? ▼
2 of Phelps County's 10 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 Phelps County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.1% of households in Phelps 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.