PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

Pope County, AR

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Pope 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).

23.3%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
9.9%
on SNAP
64K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

23.3% of Pope County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
16.9%
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 Pope County's low-access share at 23.3%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,369 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,787 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 Pope County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Pope County's 23.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,421 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pope County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Pope 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 Pope County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (36.4%) 3 tracts limited (27.3%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (36.4%) Adequate 36% Limited 27% Severe 36% Food-access tier distribution: Pope County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Pope County vs. other Arkansas counties

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

% 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 Pope County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)61,754
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population14,369
Low-Access Share23.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,787

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pope County
IndicatorValue
Population64,131
Median Household Income$57,344
Poverty Rate16.9%above the national average
SNAP Households2,411
SNAP Participation Rate9.9%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.7%
SNAP participation in Pope County 9.9%

About 9.9% of Pope County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,411 households here.
  • 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Pope County

above the national share

4 of Pope County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 36.4% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 14,369 residents, roughly 23.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,787 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (36.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Pope County

Pope County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 19 locations (49% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • cvs pharmacey 11093, russellville
  • dollar general 13890, pottsville
  • dollar general 14034, russellville
  • dollar general 1734, russellville
  • dollar general 3713, atkins
  • dollar general 4252, dover
  • dollar general 4925, russellville
  • dollar general 11620, london
  • dollar general 14625, russellville
  • dollar general 16448, russellville
  • dollar general 23240, dover
  • dollar general 24611, atkins
  • dollar general 6816, russellville
  • dollar general store 17124, hector
  • dollar tree 353, russellville
  • dollar tree 5808, russellville
  • family dollar store 4009, russellville
  • walgreens 10199, russellville
  • walgreens 15243, russellville

Convenience Store · 9

  • casey's 3345, atkins
  • casey's 3755, russellville
  • center valley grocery, russellville
  • caseys general store 3557, russellville
  • jordans kwik stop 76, pottsville
  • jordans kwik stop 82, atkins
  • pilot travel center 430, russellville
  • pilot travel center 605, russellville
  • university c store, russellville

Super Store · 5

  • 10 box cost-plus 349, russellville
  • harps food store 398, dover
  • kroger food store 624, russellville
  • walmart neighborhood market 4128, russellville
  • walmart supercenter 58, russellville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • chicken mart, russellville
  • chicken mart, russellville

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 41116, russellville
  • bill's cash saver 407, atkins

Farmers' Market · 1

  • russellville community market, inc., russellville

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • latino market 1, russellville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arkansas

Arkansas County
47.0% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Ashley County
21.8% low-access · 13.2% SNAP
Baxter County
16.4% low-access · 8.5% SNAP
Benton County
24.9% low-access · 3.9% SNAP
Boone County
20.9% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Bradley County
23.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Pope County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

Pope County sits inside Arkansas (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 Pope County has low food access? ▼
23.3% of residents in Pope County, AR 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 Pope County? ▼
9.9% of households in Pope County receive SNAP, covering 2,411 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Pope County? ▼
The poverty rate in Pope County, AR is 16.9%, with a median household income of $57,344 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Pope County a food desert? ▼
4 of Pope County's 11 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 Pope County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Pope 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.