PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Scott County, KY

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

23.5%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
8.6%
on SNAP
60K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

23.5% of Scott County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
3.7%
households, no vehicle
10.6%
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 Scott County's low-access share at 23.5%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,089 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,430 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 Scott County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Scott County's 23.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,404 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Scott County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Scott 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 Scott County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (50.0%) 5 tracts limited (35.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 50% Limited 36% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Scott County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Scott County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 Scott County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,173
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population11,089
Low-Access Share23.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,430

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Scott County
IndicatorValue
Population59,536
Median Household Income$85,158
Poverty Rate10.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,955
SNAP Participation Rate8.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.0%
SNAP participation in Scott County 8.6%

About 8.6% of Scott County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,955 households here.
  • 3.7% 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 Scott County

above the national share

2 of Scott County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 11,089 residents, roughly 23.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,430 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Scott County

Scott County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (65% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • clark's pump-n-shop 82, georgetown
  • clark's pump-n-shop 84, georgetown
  • clark's pump-n-shop 85, georgetown
  • clarks pump n shop 83, georgetown
  • earth inc, georgetown
  • el sarape llc, georgetown
  • falls creek bp, georgetown
  • gulf 109, georgetown
  • ians market 130, georgetown
  • love's travel stop 618, sadieville
  • matalaxmi mart llc, georgetown
  • minit mart 4429, georgetown
  • minit mart 4430, georgetown
  • minit mart 4431, georgetown
  • minit mart 4432, georgetown
  • murphy usa 6738, georgetown
  • ny market llc, georgetown
  • one stop store, stamping ground
  • pilot travel center 353, georgetown
  • pilot travel center 47, georgetown
  • speedup 3 llc, georgetown
  • speedway 9325, georgetown
  • speedway 9377, georgetown
  • wawa store 7611, georgetown

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • cvs pharmacy 2332, georgetown
  • dollartree 10723, georgetown
  • dollar general 0297, georgetown
  • dollar general 12891, stamping ground
  • dollar general 25915, sadieville
  • dollar tree 4288, georgetown
  • family dollar store 11180, georgetown
  • walgreens 12075, georgetown

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 779, georgetown
  • walmart supercenter 571, georgetown

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 44067, georgetown
  • georgetown save a lot 23504, georgetown

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • bourbon barrel beef 2, georgetown

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Scott County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Scott County sits inside Kentucky (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 Scott County has low food access? ▼
23.5% of residents in Scott County, KY 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 Scott County? ▼
8.6% of households in Scott County receive SNAP, covering 1,955 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Scott County? ▼
The poverty rate in Scott County, KY is 10.6%, with a median household income of $85,158 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Scott County a food desert? ▼
2 of Scott County's 14 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 Scott County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.7% of households in Scott 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.