PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kansas

Saline County, KS

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

20.0%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
8.9%
on SNAP
54K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

The food-access picture

20.0% of Saline County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
7.0%
households, no vehicle
11.9%
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 Saline County's low-access share at 20.0%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,135 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,352 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 Saline County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Saline County's 20.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 46% of them and ranked #1,690 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Saline County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Saline 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 Saline County, KS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 50% Limited 33% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Saline County, KS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Saline 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 Saline County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)55,606
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population11,135
Low-Access Share20.0%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,352

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Saline County
IndicatorValue
Population53,668
Median Household Income$65,422
Poverty Rate11.9%below the national average
SNAP Households1,995
SNAP Participation Rate8.9%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.9%
SNAP participation in Saline County 8.9%

About 8.9% of Saline County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,995 households here.
  • 7.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Saline County

above the national share

2 of Saline County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 11,135 residents, roughly 20.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,352 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Saline County

Saline County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • casey's 1967, salina
  • casey's 2254, salina
  • casey's 2847, salina
  • casey's 2848, salina
  • casey's 2849, salina
  • convenience shop, salina
  • jump start 31, salina
  • kwik shop 350712, salina
  • kwik shop 350723, salina
  • kwik shop 350739, salina
  • kwik shop 350742, salina
  • kwik shop 350793, salina
  • kwik star, salina
  • nilkanth 92 llc, salina
  • north ninth 24/7 store 1, salina
  • pilot travel center 659, salina
  • pilot travel center 903, salina
  • salina travel plaza, salina
  • snak attak, salina
  • united petro llc no, salina
  • west crawford 24/7 travel store 4, salina

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • braums 206, salina
  • braums 207, salina
  • bt asian market, salina
  • cvs pharmacy 10327, salina
  • dollar general 10785, salina
  • dollar general 12254, salina
  • dollar general 21232, salina
  • dollar general 8230, salina
  • dollar tree 1351, salina
  • dollar tree 6664, salina
  • fiesta vip, salina
  • tan viet oriental food, salina
  • walgreens 05539, salina

Super Store · 6

  • dillon store 041, salina
  • dillon store 074, salina
  • dillons 95, salina
  • sam's club 6426, salina
  • target stores t- 0905, salina
  • walmart sc 0558, salina

Farmers' Market · 2

  • harvest farmers market nafmnp, salina
  • salina farmer's market, salina

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • salina papa murphys ks005, salina

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • smoky river meats, salina

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • prairieland market n/a, salina

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 46060, salina

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 Saline County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Food access nationally, Kansas in context

Saline 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 Saline County has low food access? ▼
20.0% of residents in Saline 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 Saline County? ▼
8.9% of households in Saline County receive SNAP, covering 1,995 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Saline County? ▼
The poverty rate in Saline County, KS is 11.9%, with a median household income of $65,422 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Saline County a food desert? ▼
2 of Saline County's 12 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 Saline County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.0% of households in Saline 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.