PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Pulaski County, MO

Pulaski County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

63.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
8.4%
on SNAP
54K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

63.3% of Pulaski County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
12K
food-desert residents
3.2%
households, no vehicle
12.7%
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).

Pulaski County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 63.3% is well above the national share. 6 of the county's 9 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 33,100 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 11,526 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 Pulaski County compares nationally

Pulaski County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 63.3% low-access share outpaces 96% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #120 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pulaski County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Pulaski 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 Pulaski County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (33.3%) 4 tracts limited (44.4%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 33% Limited 44% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Pulaski County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Pulaski 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 Pulaski County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)52,274
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population33,100
Low-Access Share63.3%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population11,526

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pulaski County
IndicatorValue
Population53,894
Median Household Income$64,466
Poverty Rate12.7%below the national average
SNAP Households1,411
SNAP Participation Rate8.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population18.5%
SNAP participation in Pulaski County 8.4%

About 8.4% of Pulaski County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 63.3% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,411 households here.
  • 3.2% 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 Pulaski County

well above the national share

2 of Pulaski County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 33,100 residents, roughly 63.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 11,526 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Pulaski County

Pulaski County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • casey's 1314, waynesville
  • casey's 1545, dixon
  • casey's 2661, richland
  • casey's general store 3687, saint robert
  • cb's mini mart, saint robert
  • click's route 66 general store, llc, richland
  • crocker eagle stop 34, crocker
  • maverik 5217, saint robert
  • maverik 5323, waynesville
  • midwest petroleum 38, crocker
  • midwest petroleum 39, dixon
  • mobil on the run 250, saint robert
  • murphy usa 7605, saint robert
  • road ranger 242, saint robert
  • st. robert eagle stop 23, saint robert

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollartree 10115, waynesville
  • dollar general 11564, richland
  • dollar general 11743, crocker
  • dollar general 22156, waynesville
  • dollar general 224, waynesville
  • dollar general 23426, saint robert
  • dollar general 25357, waynesville
  • dollar general 4920, dixon
  • dollar general 6953, saint robert
  • dollar tree 1991, saint robert
  • family dollar 12673, dixon
  • family dollar 5266, saint robert
  • kims oriental food store, saint robert

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 41081, saint robert
  • country mart 2416, dixon
  • price cutter plus 56, waynesville
  • town & country 2451, richland

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • oriental market, saint robert

Military Commissary · 1

  • fort leonard wood commissary 2612, fort leonard wood

Super Store · 1

  • walmart sc 21, saint robert

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 Pulaski County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Pulaski 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 Pulaski County has low food access? ▼
63.3% of residents in Pulaski 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 Pulaski County? ▼
8.4% of households in Pulaski County receive SNAP, covering 1,411 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Pulaski County? ▼
The poverty rate in Pulaski County, MO is 12.7%, with a median household income of $64,466 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Pulaski County a food desert? ▼
2 of Pulaski County's 9 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 Pulaski County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.2% of households in Pulaski 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.