County food-access profile · Kentucky
Russell County, KY
Most of Russell County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 4.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
4.0% of Russell County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 420
- food-desert residents
- 6.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 23.1%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Russell County fares better than most: just 4.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 5 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 711 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 420 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 Russell County compares nationally
Food access in Russell County compares favorably nationally: its 4.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 8% of them (rank #2,870).
Russell County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Russell County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Russell County vs. other Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Russell 4
Russell County, KY
4 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,565 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 711 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 420 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,221 |
| Median Household Income | $44,738 |
| Poverty Rate | 23.1%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,341 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 17.7% of Russell County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 4.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,341 households here.
- 6.5% 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 Russell County
below the national share
1 of Russell County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 711 residents, roughly 4.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 420 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Russell County
Russell County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 15
- el triunfo mexican store llc 1, russell springs
- eli country store, russell springs
- express mart, russell springs
- fivestar 8900, russell springs
- harris grocery, nancy
- jamestown handimart, jamestown
- kris food mart, russell springs
- lake country, russell springs
- lake cumberland country store, jamestown
- laker one stop, russell springs
- minit mart 4437, jamestown
- smita enterprise llc, russell springs
- star food mart 3, jamestown
- stop & save 3, russell springs
- stop & save 5, jamestown
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- a & s livestock, inc, jamestown
- dollar general 0187, russell springs
- dollar general 14364, russell springs
- dollar general 19874, russell springs
- dollar general 12369, russell springs
- dollar general 22223, russell springs
- dollar general 22680, russell springs
- el quetzal llc 1, russell springs
- family dollar 12643, jamestown
- walgreens 18362, russell springs
Super Store · 2
- dollar general market 13158, jamestown
- kroger #l-00900 l900, russell springs
Supermarket · 2
- price less foods 496, russell springs
- save-a-lot 45170, russell springs
Large Grocery Store · 1
- fruit market, russell springs
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Russell County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Russell County sits inside Kentucky (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Russell County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Russell County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Russell County? ▼
Is Russell County a food desert? ▼
What share of Russell County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.