PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kansas

Reno County, KS

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Reno 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).

29.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.3%
on SNAP
62K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

The food-access picture

29.1% of Reno County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
12.5%
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).

USDA data puts Reno County's low-access share at 29.1%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 17 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 18,781 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,814 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 Reno County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Reno County's 29.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 68% of them and ranked #999 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Reno County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 17 census tracts in Reno 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 Reno County, KS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 17 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (58.8%) 6 tracts limited (35.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (5.9%) Adequate 59% Limited 35% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Reno County, KS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Reno County vs. other Kansas counties

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

% 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 Reno County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts17
Atlas Population (2010 basis)64,511
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population18,781
Low-Access Share29.1%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,814

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Reno County
IndicatorValue
Population61,553
Median Household Income$60,645
Poverty Rate12.5%below the national average
SNAP Households2,127
SNAP Participation Rate8.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.5%
SNAP participation in Reno County 8.3%

About 8.3% of Reno County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,127 households here.
  • 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Reno County

above the national share

1 of Reno County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.9% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 18,781 residents, roughly 29.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,814 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (58.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Reno County

Reno County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • jump start, inc 22, hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350724, hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350725, hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350726, hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350736, hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350738, hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350760, haven
  • kwik shop 350765, hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350766, nickerson
  • kwik shop 350768, south hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350769, south hutchinson
  • kwik shop 350774, hutchinson
  • kwik shop inc 350764, hutchinson
  • love's travel stop 703, south hutchinson
  • murphy usa 7484, hutchinson
  • ta976- ta express hutchinson 976, south hutchinson
  • yesway 1040, hutchinson
  • yesway 1041, hutchinson
  • yesway 1042, hutchinson
  • yesway 1044, hutchinson

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • braums 204, hutchinson
  • dollartree 9359, hutchinson
  • dollar general 15631, haven
  • dollar general 2484, hutchinson
  • dollar general 3187, s hutchinson
  • dollar general 4722, hutchinson
  • dollar tree 6459, hutchinson
  • dollar tree 7933, hutchinson
  • walgreens 07148, hutchinson

Super Store · 5

  • dillon store 008, hutchinson
  • dillon store 010, hutchinson
  • dillon store 025, hutchinson
  • dillons 97, hutchinson
  • walmart sc 0794, hutchinson

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • jackson meat, hutchinson
  • yoder meats 5000, yoder

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • hometown food stores, buhler
  • smiths market, hutchinson

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's ks004, hutchinson

Farmers' Market · 1

  • reno county farmers market, hutchinson

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • berridges, nickerson

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 46071, hutchinson

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kansas

Allen County
15.4% low-access · 9.3% SNAP
Anderson County
18.5% low-access · 5.2% SNAP
Atchison County
28.7% low-access · 10.9% SNAP
Barber County
11.5% low-access · 2.8% SNAP
Barton County
34.4% low-access · 7.0% SNAP
Bourbon County
27.5% low-access · 7.8% SNAP

Compare Reno County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Food access nationally, Kansas in context

Reno County sits inside Kansas (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 Reno County has low food access? ▼
29.1% of residents in Reno County, KS 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 Reno County? ▼
8.3% of households in Reno County receive SNAP, covering 2,127 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Reno County? ▼
The poverty rate in Reno County, KS is 12.5%, with a median household income of $60,645 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Reno County a food desert? ▼
1 of Reno County's 17 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 Reno County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Reno 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.