PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Pottawatomie County, OK

Pottawatomie 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.

17.3%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
18.6%
on SNAP
73K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

17.3% of Pottawatomie County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.3%
households, no vehicle
15.9%
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).

Pottawatomie County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.3% per the USDA Atlas. 8 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 12,005 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,126 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 Pottawatomie County compares nationally

Pottawatomie County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.3% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,928).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pottawatomie County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Pottawatomie 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 Pottawatomie County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts limited (18.8%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (31.3%) Adequate 50% Limited 19% Severe 31% Food-access tier distribution: Pottawatomie County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Pottawatomie County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Pottawatomie County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)69,442
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population12,005
Low-Access Share17.3%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,126

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pottawatomie County
IndicatorValue
Population73,463
Median Household Income$61,398
Poverty Rate15.9%above the national average
SNAP Households5,005
SNAP Participation Rate18.6%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.0%
SNAP participation in Pottawatomie County 18.6%

About 18.6% of Pottawatomie County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 18.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,005 households here.
  • 4.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Pottawatomie County

near the national share

5 of Pottawatomie County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 31.3% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 12,005 residents, roughly 17.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,126 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Pottawatomie County

Pottawatomie County has 84 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 38 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 38

  • 177-skyline mart, shawnee
  • a&z grocery and feed, wanette
  • casey's 4326, tecumseh
  • casey's 4474, shawnee
  • casey's general store 4099, shawnee
  • dakotas stop, shawnee
  • domino 123, shawnee
  • domino 127, shawnee
  • e-z mart 4352, shawnee
  • e-z mart 4358, shawnee
  • east kwick stop 25, shawnee
  • kickapoo macarthur food mart 33, shawnee
  • kickapoo mart 1, shawnee
  • kwick stop 12, shawnee
  • kwick stop 13, shawnee
  • kwick stop 15, shawnee
  • kwick stop 17, shawnee
  • kwick stop 18, earlsboro
  • kwick stop 3, shawnee
  • kwick stop 31, shawnee
  • kwick stop 39, asher
  • kwick stop 53, maud
  • kwick stop 59, maud
  • kwick stop 66, shawnee
  • kwick stop 67, mcloud
  • kwick stop 79, macomb
  • love's travel stops & country stores inc 49, shawnee
  • love's travel stops & country stores inc 51, tecumseh
  • loves travel stops & country store 252, mcloud
  • murphy usa 7089, shawnee
  • redskins kwick stop 20, mcloud
  • s and n investments, shawnee
  • savage kwick stop 21, tecumseh
  • springhill kwick stop 9, tecumseh
  • the grand travel plaza, shawnee
  • thunder mart, shawnee
  • travel plaza plus, shawnee
  • wildcat corner, shawnee

Combination Grocery/Other · 29

  • braum's 225, shawnee
  • braum's 96, shawnee
  • braum's 137, tecumseh
  • braum's 35, shawnee
  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 6142, shawnee
  • dollar general 0132, shawnee
  • dollar general 0196, shawnee
  • dollar general 10794, shawnee
  • dollar general 3153, tecumseh
  • dollar general 11914, maud
  • dollar general 12700, shawnee
  • dollar general 13326, mcloud
  • dollar general 16470, asher
  • dollar general 16916, earlsboro
  • dollar general 20168, tecumseh
  • dollar general 22667, macomb
  • dollar general 25038, shawnee
  • dollar general 30004, shawnee
  • dollar general 30218, shawnee
  • dollar general 30220, shawnee
  • dollar general 30806, shawnee
  • dollar tree 1165, shawnee
  • dollar tree 7778, shawnee
  • family dollar store 1491, shawnee
  • family dollar store 1738, tecumseh
  • family dollar store 4161, mcloud
  • family dollar store 4216, shawnee
  • walgreens 11811, shawnee
  • walgreens 04269, shawnee

Super Store · 4

  • firelake discount foods, shawnee
  • firelake express grocery, tecumseh
  • firelake express grocery 047, mcloud
  • walmart 103, shawnee

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 7, shawnee
  • homeland 196, shawnee
  • homeland 198, shawnee
  • save-a-lot 21626, shawnee

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • fehdan market, shawnee
  • main fruit market, shawnee
  • select supermarket corporation, shawnee

Farmers' Market · 2

  • mcloud farmers market association, harrah
  • mcloud farmers market, mcloud

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • hardesty market & deli no, shawnee
  • one sixty processing llc, shawnee

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • crow's farm market, shawnee
  • prime time nutrition 418, shawnee

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Pottawatomie County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Pottawatomie County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Pottawatomie County has low food access? ▼
17.3% of residents in Pottawatomie County, OK 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 Pottawatomie County? ▼
18.6% of households in Pottawatomie County receive SNAP, covering 5,005 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Pottawatomie County? ▼
The poverty rate in Pottawatomie County, OK is 15.9%, with a median household income of $61,398 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Pottawatomie County a food desert? ▼
5 of Pottawatomie County's 16 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 Pottawatomie County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.3% of households in Pottawatomie 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.