Signature · 41.4% low-access (89th pct)
Putnam County, TN
Putnam County sits in the upper national band on low-access (41.4%, +19.3 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 41.4%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 9.3%
- on SNAP
- 83K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Putnam County, TN
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 41.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +19.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Knox County ( -0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Putnam County sits in the upper national band (41.4%, #355 of 3,079) with 4 LILA tracts.
- #355
- national by low-access %
- #7
- in TN
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 41.4% low-access (89th pct) (+19.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Putnam County compares nationally
Putnam County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 41.4% low-access share outpaces 89% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #356 most-affected nationwide.
Putnam County's elevated USDA tier split
15 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Putnam County has 11 urban and 4 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 vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Tennessee, not a full county-board reprint
- Montgomery
Montgomery 47%
47 % low-access
- Hamilton
Hamilton 43.9%
43.9 % low-access
- Hamblen
Hamblen 42.7%
42.7 % low-access
- Sequatchie
Sequatchie 42.1%
42.1 % low-access
- Putnam
Putnam 41.4%
41.4 % low-access
- Knox
Knox 41.2%
41.2 % low-access
- Grainger 0
Grainger 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 72,321 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 29,939 |
| Low-Access Share | 41.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,011 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 82,558 |
| Median Household Income | $58,912 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,111 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Putnam County
Putnam County has 85 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 39 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 39
- a & j food mart, cookeville
- breadbox 3483, cookeville
- breadbox 3484, cookeville
- circle k 4703700, cookeville
- citgo 101, cookeville
- colonial foodmart, cookeville
- cookeville express way, cookeville
- east spring gulf 13, cookeville
- echo valley market, cookeville
- evolve c-store, cookeville
- jackson mart of cookeville, cookeville
- kash stop 8, cookeville
- la marquensita, cookeville
- little dodge deli and market, baxter
- love' travel stops & country stores, inc 330, baxter
- m&m trading post, cookeville
- mapco express, inc. 7460, cookeville
- mike's market, cookeville
- minit mart 4470, cookeville
- monterey market, monterey
- monterey shell, monterey
- murphy usa 7008, cookeville
- murphy usa 7027, cookeville
- on the way west jackson, cookeville
- pilot travel center 265, cookeville
- quick stop, cookeville
- roy's market, cookeville
- shell hwy 56 baxter, baxter
- smokes & beverages, cookeville
- speed mart of cookeville, cookeville
- speedway 7106, baxter
- speedway 7137, cookeville
- sunoco, cookeville
- t mart 205 1, cookeville
- t mart 405, baxter
- t-mart, cookeville
- tigermarket 208 208, cookeville
- toms market, monterey
- wildwood market, bloomington springs
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- cvs pharmacy 2198, cookeville
- cvs pharmacy 6434, cookeville
- dollar general 11157, cookeville
- dollar general 14082, cookeville
- dollar general 2411, monterey
- dollar general 4717, cookeville
- dollar general 4718, baxter
- dollar general 8849, cookeville
- dollar general 8940, cookeville
- dollar general 9379, cookeville
- dolalr general store 16175, cookeville
- dollar general 10766, cookeville
- dollar general 18305, cookeville
- dollar general 21431, silver point
- dollar general 23912, cookeville
- dollar general 25737, baxter
- dollar general 30871, cookeville
- dollar tree 326, cookeville
- dollar tree 5892, cookeville
- family dollar store 6834, monterey
- walgreen 05474, cookeville
- walgreen 11969, cookeville
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 71026 71026, cookeville
- food lion 0995, cookeville
- food city 683, cookeville
- food lion 2149, cookeville
- houchens save-a-lot 156, cookeville
- hometown iga 42, cookeville
- publix 1634, cookeville
- todd's monterey cee bee, monterey
Small Grocery Store · 5
- fil-am asian store, cookeville
- guatemex market 2 llc, cookeville
- tienda coataneca 1, cookeville
- tienda la juquilita, cookeville
- tiendia la tapatia, monterey
Super Store · 5
- dollar general market 9825, cookeville
- kroger co #00893-a 893, cookeville
- sam's club 4930, cookeville
- walmart 657, cookeville
- walmart s/c 5175, cookeville
Large Grocery Store · 2
- baxter bi rite, baxter
- cash & carry, cookeville
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- el milagro market, cookeville
- tienda los angeles grocery, cookeville
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza tn018, cookeville
Seafood Specialty · 1
- bubba gandy seafood and cajun market, cookeville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Tennessee
One of 94 counties in Tennessee, 6 are shown here.
Compare Putnam County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →
Counties near Putnam County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Putnam County, both outside Tennessee so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside TN (41.4% here).
- Pecos County, TX · 41.4% low-access
- Pecos County, TX · 41.4% low-access
- Taney County, MO · 41.4% low-access
- Taney County, MO · 41.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside TN (9.3% here).
- Monongalia County, WV · 9.3% SNAP
- Monongalia County, WV · 9.3% SNAP
- La Crosse County, WI · 9.3% SNAP
- La Crosse County, WI · 9.3% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Putnam County inside a higher low-access state context
Putnam County sits inside Tennessee (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, TN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 47141. 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.