Signature · 4.0% low-access (8th pct)
Russell County, KY
Russell County lands in the lower national band on low-access (4.0%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 4.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Russell County, KY
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ADEQUATE 4.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -18.1 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Nelson County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Russell County lands in the lower national band (4.0%, #2,870 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,870
- national by low-access %
- #81
- in KY
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 420
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 4.0% low-access (8th pct) (-18.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).
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's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Russell County has 0 urban and 5 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.
Russell County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Whitley 4.2
Whitley 4.2%
4.2 % low-access
- Russell 4
Russell 4%
4 % low-access
- Nelson 3.9
Nelson 3.9%
3.9 % low-access
- Hickman 3.7
Hickman 3.7%
3.7 % low-access
- Henry 3.6
Henry 3.6%
3.6 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare Russell County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Counties near Russell County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Russell County, both outside Kentucky so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (4.0% here).
- Hancock County, ME · 4.0% low-access
- Hancock County, ME · 4.0% low-access
- Fayette County, IA · 4.0% low-access
- Fayette County, IA · 4.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (17.7% here).
- Somerset County, ME · 17.7% SNAP
- Somerset County, ME · 17.7% SNAP
- Tift County, GA · 17.7% SNAP
- Tift County, GA · 17.7% 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.
Russell County inside a lower low-access state context
Russell County sits inside Kentucky (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 Russell County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21207. 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.