County food-access profile · Missouri
Scott County, MO
Scott County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 18.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 14.9%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.3% of Scott County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.8%
- 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).
Scott County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.3% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,156 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,988 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
Scott County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.3% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,834).
Scott County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 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).
Scott County vs. other Missouri counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri
- Scott
Scott County, MO
18.3 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, MO
27.3 % low-access
- Andrew
Andrew County, MO
15.8 % low-access
- Atchison 5.1
Atchison County, MO
5.1 % low-access
- Audrain
Audrain County, MO
22.6 % low-access
- Barry
Barry County, MO
19.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 39,191 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,156 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,988 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,933 |
| Median Household Income | $62,782 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,284 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 14.9% of Scott County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,284 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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
near the national share
4 of Scott County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 7,156 residents, roughly 18.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,988 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Scott County
Scott County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs pharmacy 10297, sikeston
- dollar general 11665, benton
- dollar general 1197, chaffee
- dollar general 1243, scott city
- dollar general 1245, sikeston
- dollar general 13263, sikeston
- dollar general 13328, oran
- dollar general 23498, oran
- dollar general 24894, sikeston
- dollar general 24920, blodgett
- dollar general 25577, sikeston
- dollar tree 587, sikeston
- family dollar 2575, sikeston
- family dollar 9188, sikeston
- family dollar store 10528, chaffee
- quick chek 2, sikeston
- walgreens 09301, sikeston
Convenience Store · 14
- break time convenience 3133, sikeston
- break time convenience 3147, sikeston
- casey's 4555, miner
- caseys general store 2151, scott city
- graviett llc, vanduser
- huck's 139, sikeston
- j and e wholesale outlet, sikeston
- love's travel stop 643, sikeston
- quick chek market, sikeston
- reliance 310 310, scott city
- rhodes convenience stores 245, sikeston
- rhodes convenience stores 250, sikeston
- riley's one stop llc, sikeston
- rons, benton
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 41094, sikeston
- food giant 538, sikeston
- food giant 546, chaffee
- food giant 547, sikeston
- food giant 548, sikeston
- save a lot 24578, sikeston
Small Grocery Store · 1
- salinas mexican store, sikeston
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Missouri
Compare Scott County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Scott County sits inside Missouri (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 Scott County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Scott County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Scott County? ▼
Is Scott County a food desert? ▼
What share of Scott 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.