PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Rusk County, TX

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

26.9%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
11.2%
on SNAP
53K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

26.9% of Rusk County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
14.4%
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 Rusk County's low-access share at 26.9%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,356 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,973 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 Rusk County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rusk County's 26.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 63% of them and ranked #1,157 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Rusk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Rusk 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 Rusk County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (53.8%) 1 tracts limited (7.7%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (38.5%) Adequate 54% Limited 8% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Rusk County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Rusk County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Rusk County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)53,330
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population14,356
Low-Access Share26.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,973

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Rusk County
IndicatorValue
Population52,842
Median Household Income$68,658
Poverty Rate14.4%near the national average
SNAP Households2,012
SNAP Participation Rate11.2%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population9.6%
SNAP participation in Rusk County 11.2%

About 11.2% of Rusk County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,012 households here.
  • 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Rusk County

above the national share

5 of Rusk County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 38.5% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 14,356 residents, roughly 26.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,973 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (53.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Rusk County

Rusk County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • best twin oak country store, kilgore
  • cefco 104, mt. enterprise
  • cefco 8, overton
  • corner market, tatum
  • eagle mart, tatum
  • henderson depot 661, henderson
  • jj's fast stop #235, henderson
  • lama #38, overton
  • lama 38, overton
  • murphy usa 5504, henderson
  • petro max #10, henderson
  • petro max #7, henderson
  • petro max #8, henderson
  • petro max #9, henderson
  • price express mart, henderson
  • ritetrack #12 0001, henderson
  • super c food mart, kilgore
  • super c west, henderson
  • teghs mart 1, henderson

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy inc 6959, henderson
  • dollar general 0632, henderson
  • dollar general 0644, overton
  • dollar general 4608, henderson
  • dollartree 8763, henderson
  • dollar general 15475, longview
  • dollar general 22398, mount enterprise
  • dollar general 23316, henderson
  • dollar general 5846, tatum
  • family dollar 1005, henderson
  • family dollar 11997, kilgore
  • family dollar 12074, overton
  • family dollar 13184, overton
  • family dollar 3752, henderson
  • family dollar 4464, tatum
  • walgreens 11212, henderson

Super Store · 3

  • brookshire brothers 56, tatum
  • kroger 490, henderson
  • walmart supercenter 165, henderson

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • carniceria las palmas, henderson

Supermarket · 1

  • brookshire food store 44, overton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Rusk County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Rusk County sits inside Texas (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 Rusk County has low food access? ▼
26.9% of residents in Rusk County, TX 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 Rusk County? ▼
11.2% of households in Rusk County receive SNAP, covering 2,012 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Rusk County? ▼
The poverty rate in Rusk County, TX is 14.4%, with a median household income of $68,658 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Rusk County a food desert? ▼
5 of Rusk County's 13 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 Rusk County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Rusk 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.