Signature · 6.8% low-access (13th pct)
Ray County, MO
Ray County lands in the lower national band on low-access (6.8%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 6.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 10.5%
- on SNAP
- 23K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ray County, MO
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ADEQUATE 6.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -15.3 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Stoddard County (+ 0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Ray County lands in the lower national band (6.8%, #2,716 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,716
- national by low-access %
- #106
- in MO
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 502
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 6.8% low-access (13th pct) (-15.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Ray County compares nationally
Food access in Ray County compares favorably nationally: its 6.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 13% of them (rank #2,716).
Ray County's lower-band USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Ray County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Ray County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Missouri, not a full county-board reprint
- Mercer
Mercer 99.8%
99.8 % low-access
- Ralls 7.5
Ralls 7.5%
7.5 % low-access
- Crawford 7.3
Crawford 7.3%
7.3 % low-access
- Stoddard 7
Stoddard 7%
7 % low-access
- Ray 6.8
Ray 6.8%
6.8 % low-access
- St. Louis city 6
St. Louis city 6%
6 % low-access
- Mississippi 3
Mississippi 3%
3 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,494 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,598 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 502 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,145 |
| Median Household Income | $74,573 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 954 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
SNAP retailers in Ray County
Ray County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 6 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 16 authorized stores; Richmond holds 63% of them. 3 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Orrick, Lawson, Excelsior Springs.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 10 | 2 |
| Orrick | 3 | none |
| Lawson | 2 | none |
| Excelsior Springs | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- cvs/pharmacy 11310, richmond
- dollar general 1725, richmond
- dollar general 24842, orrick
- dollar general 9443, lawson
- dollar general store 16218, excelsior springs
- dollar tree 7219, richmond
Convenience Store · 6
- casey's 1487, richmond
- caseys general store 1283, lawson
- dortons, orrick
- express stop, richmond
- express stop, richmond
- richmond mart, richmond
Super Store · 2
- harps food store 275, richmond
- walmart sc 325, richmond
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- crooked river meats, richmond
Small Grocery Store · 1
- wilson's grocery, orrick
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 Ray County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Counties near Ray County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Ray County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MO (6.8% here).
- Brown County, OH · 6.8% low-access
- Obion County, TN · 6.8% low-access
- Logan County, WV · 6.8% low-access
- Blount County, AL · 6.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MO (10.5% here).
- Hancock County, MS · 10.5% SNAP
- Kandiyohi County, MN · 10.5% SNAP
- Washoe County, NV · 10.5% SNAP
- Otsego County, MI · 10.5% 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.
Missouri among West North Central states
Missouri ranks 5th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (24.9%). Ray County, at 6.8%, runs 18.1 pts below the Missouri rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Ray County, MO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 29177. 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.