County food-access profile · Missouri
Platte County, MO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Platte 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).
- 37.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 4.2%
- on SNAP
- 110K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
37.6% of Platte County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 12
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 4.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.0%
- 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 Platte County's low-access share at 37.6%, above the national share. 12 of the county's 20 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 33,574 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,646 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 Platte County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Platte County's 37.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 84% of them and ranked #500 most-affected nationwide.
Platte County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 20 census tracts in Platte County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Platte County vs. other Missouri counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri
- Platte
Platte County, MO
37.6 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, MO
27.3 % low-access
- Andrew
Andrew County, MO
15.8 % low-access
- Atchison 5.1
Atchison County, MO
5.1 % low-access
- Audrain
Audrain County, MO
22.6 % low-access
- Barry
Barry County, MO
19.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 20 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 89,322 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 12 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 33,574 |
| Low-Access Share | 37.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,646 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 110,371 |
| Median Household Income | $96,227 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.0%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,857 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 4.2% of Platte County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 37.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 4.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,857 households here.
- 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Platte County
above the national share
1 of Platte County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.0% of all its tracts.
A further 11 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.
An estimated 33,574 residents, roughly 37.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,646 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Platte County
Platte County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 23
- c-store platte city, platte city
- casey's 4359, parkville
- casey's 2330, platte city
- executive hills, kansas city
- gk energy, kansas city
- grab n go 2, kansas city
- hy-vee fast and fresh express #3 5322, kansas city
- hy-vee gas 8371, kansas city
- kc liquor & tobacco, kansas city
- kci kwik store, kansas city
- minit mart 600574, platte city
- please stop, parkville
- prairie view phillips, kansas city
- quiktrip 170, riverside
- quiktrip 189, parkville
- quiktrip 218, kansas city
- quiktrip 223, kansas city
- quiktrip 236, platte city
- speed stop #5905 5905, kansas city
- temp stop 115, kansas city
- world liquors 8, northmoor
- worlds liquor, kansas city
- xtra miles, kansas city
Combination Grocery/Other · 16
- cvs pharmacy 5693, kansas city
- cvs pharmacy 5727, platte city
- cvs pharmacy 8556, kansas city
- cvs pharmacy 8577, kansas city
- dollar general 13822, weston
- dollar general 18742, dearborn
- dollartree 10004, kansas city
- dollar general 12524, platte city
- dollar general 3368, platte woods
- dollar general 8971, kansas city
- dollar tree 4045, kansas city
- dollar tree 6382, kansas city
- red x, riverside
- swagat spice bazaar, kansas city
- walgreens 10130, parkville
- walgreens 12925, platte city
Super Store · 5
- hy-vee food store 1320, kansas city
- hy-vee food store 1322, kansas city
- price chopper 900, parkville
- target stores t- 2423, kansas city
- walmart sc 2857, kansas city
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 46026, kansas city
- aldi 46103, kansas city
- price chopper 415, platte city
- sprouts farmers market 722, kansas city
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's, kansas city
Farmers' Market · 1
- parkville farmers market, platte city
Large Grocery Store · 1
- sharps market, weston
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- afro ethiopian market, northmoor
Small Grocery Store · 1
- price rite market & deli inc, kansas city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Missouri
Compare Platte County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Platte County sits inside Missouri (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Platte County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Platte County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Platte County? ▼
Is Platte County a food desert? ▼
What share of Platte County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.