County food-access profile · Arkansas
Sebastian County, AR
Sebastian 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.
- 13.2%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 11.6%
- on SNAP
- 129K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.2% of Sebastian County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 26 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.0%
- 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).
Sebastian County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.2% per the USDA Atlas. 9 of the county's 26 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 16,620 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,906 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 Sebastian County compares nationally
Sebastian County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.2% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,259).
Sebastian County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 26 census tracts in Sebastian County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sebastian County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Sebastian 13.2
Sebastian County, AR
13.2 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 26 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 125,744 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 16,620 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,906 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 128,900 |
| Median Household Income | $57,790 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,031 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.6%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 11.6% of Sebastian County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,031 households here.
- 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Sebastian County
near the national share
5 of Sebastian County's 26 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.2% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.
An estimated 16,620 residents, roughly 13.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,906 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (65.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sebastian County
Sebastian County has 130 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 55 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 55
- casey's 3267, fort smith
- casey's 3750, fort smith
- casey's 4637, fort smith
- casey's 4638, fort smith
- casey's 4639, fort smith
- casey's general store 3511, lavaca
- captains food mart 30, lavaca
- casey's 3487, barling
- casey's general store 3480, fort smith
- casey's general store 3692, greenwood
- circle k 358, fort smith
- circle k 359, fort smith
- circle k 360, fort smith
- dunn's deals, fort smith
- e-z mart 4209, fort smith
- e-z mart 4238, fort smith
- e-z mart 4239, fort smith
- flash market 17186, fort smith
- g slam 2, greenwood
- happy food mart, fort smith
- hare krishna food mart, fort smith
- hp foodmart, fort smith
- hugs & biscuits, hackett
- iqbal and sons llc, huntington
- j mart 2 fort smith llc, fort smith
- j mart valero, fort smith
- j mart valero, fort smith
- jannat llc, fort smith
- jenny lind express, fort smith
- jetaway, fort smith
- jiffy trip 711, fort smith
- kelly mart, llc, fort smith
- littlefieldexpress #2 902, fort smith
- mackie's one stop shop na, fort smith
- maverik 5041, fort smith
- murphy usa 6896, greenwood
- murphy usa 7133, fort smith
- murphy usa 7447, fort smith
- murphy usa 7939, fort smith
- north o food mart, fort smith
- oak crest food mart llc, fort smith
- olde fashioned food, fort smith
- pn enterprise llc, fort smith
- pic n tote, fort smith
- pic n tote cavanaugh 2, fort smith
- pic n tote grand ave 7, fort smith
- pick n tote rye hill 9, fort smith
- pick n tote us 71 4, fort smith
- r&c satellite tec and more llc, fort smith
- roosters at 50th street, fort smith
- shop n go, fort smith
- the hydration station, fort smith
- the hydration station store 1, fort smith
- uptown shop n go, fort smith
- valero, fort smith
Combination Grocery/Other · 39
- braum's 229, fort smith
- braum's 230, fort smith
- braum's 244, fort smith
- dollar general 0625, fort smith
- dollar general 10446, fort smith
- dollar general 14391, fort smith
- dollar general 1644, barling
- dollar general 19374, fort smith
- dollar general 2213, greenwood
- dollar general 2632, fort smith
- dollar general 4602, fort smith
- dollar general 4603, fort smith
- dollar general 4623, lavaca
- dollartree 8751, fort smith
- dollar general 11523, hackett
- dollar general 15384, fort smith
- dollar general 17147, fort smith
- dollar general 20922, midland
- dollar general 22515, fort smith
- dollar general 22626, fort smith
- dollar general 22805, hartford
- dollar general 23638, fort smith
- dollar general 24516, huntington
- dollar general 25932, greenwood
- dollar general 30104, fort smith
- dollar general 4319, fort smith
- dollar tree 526, fort smith
- dollar tree 6101, fort smith
- dollar tree 7174, greenwood
- dollar tree 811, fort smith
- family dollar 13509, lavaca
- family dollar 3377, fort smith
- family dollar 3496, fort smith
- family dollar 8571, fort smith
- thanh long asian market, fort smith
- walgreens 07234, fort smith
- walgreens 09594, fort smith
- walgreens 5260, fort smith
- walgreens 12912, greenwood
Super Store · 16
- 10 box cost-plus 172, fort smith
- harps food store 137, fort smith
- harps food store 174, fort smith
- harps food store 513, fort smith
- harps food store 514, fort smith
- harps food store 531, greenwood
- harps food store 532, lavaca
- harps food store 551, fort smith
- sam's club 8134, fort smith
- target t 2284, fort smith
- walmart 141, fort smith
- walmart neighborhood market 2744, fort smith
- walmart neighborhood market 4579, fort smith
- walmart supercenter 3231, greenwood
- walmart supercenter 125, fort smith
- walmart supercenter 388, fort smith
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- guanatos supermercado, fort smith
- la hacienda market, fort smith
- las palmas supermarket, fort smith
- midland market, fort smith
- mercado tinajero, llc, fort smith
- super market la guadalupana, fort smith
- truong son asian center, fort smith
- the butcher block, fort smith
Small Grocery Store · 5
- bariedades salvadorena 1, fort smith
- carniceria guanatos, fort smith
- downtown corner market, fort smith
- mi barquita #2, fort smith
- mi barquita #3 #3, fort smith
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- poultry direct, fort smith
- poultry direct, fort smith
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 46005, fort smith
- aldi 75073 75073, fort smith
Farmers' Market · 1
- fort smith farmers market, fort smith
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- twin city produce inc 1, fort smith
Large Grocery Store · 1
- a to z variety, fort smith
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Sebastian County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Sebastian County sits inside Arkansas (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 Sebastian County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sebastian County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sebastian County? ▼
Is Sebastian County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sebastian 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.