Signature · 7.5% SNAP (20th pct in MO)
Putnam County, MO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Putnam 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).
- 26.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.5%
- on SNAP
- 5K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Putnam County, MO
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 26.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +4.6 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: St. Louis County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Putnam County ranks #1,176 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #38 of 115 counties in MO (26.7% low-access).
- #1,176
- national by low-access %
- #38
- in MO
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 508
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 7.5% SNAP (20th pct in MO) (-4.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Putnam County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Putnam County's 26.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,176 most-affected nationwide.
Putnam County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Putnam County has 0 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Putnam County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Missouri, not a full county-board reprint
- Mercer
Mercer 99.8%
99.8 % low-access
- Sullivan 27.2
Sullivan 27.2%
27.2 % low-access
- St. Louis 26.8
St. Louis 26.8%
26.8 % low-access
- Putnam 26.7
Putnam 26.7%
26.7 % low-access
- Jackson 26.2
Jackson 26.2%
26.2 % low-access
- Jasper 26.1
Jasper 26.1%
26.1 % low-access
- Mississippi 3
Mississippi 3%
3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 4,979 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,328 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 508 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 4,642 |
| Median Household Income | $63,510 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 134 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
Slim SNAP store book in Putnam County
Putnam County has 4 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 2
- 7th heaven, unionville
- casey's 2316, unionville
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 8179, unionville
Super Store · 1
- hy-vee food store 1689, unionville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Missouri
One of 114 counties in Missouri, 6 are shown here.
Compare Putnam County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Putnam County sits inside Missouri (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Putnam County, MO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 29171. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.