County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Sequoyah County, OK

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

20.3%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
21.2%
on SNAP
40K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

20.3% of Sequoyah County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
20.2%
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 Sequoyah County's low-access share at 20.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,598 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,308 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 Sequoyah County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Sequoyah County's 20.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,668 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Sequoyah County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Sequoyah 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 Sequoyah County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (55.6%) Adequate 44% Limited 0% Severe 56% Food-access tier distribution: Sequoyah County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Sequoyah County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Sequoyah County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)42,391
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population8,598
Low-Access Share20.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,308

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Sequoyah County
IndicatorValue
Population39,860
Median Household Income$51,093
Poverty Rate20.2%above the national average
SNAP Households3,283
SNAP Participation Rate21.2%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Sequoyah County 21.2%

About 21.2% of Sequoyah County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 21.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,283 households here.
  • 5.2% 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 Sequoyah County

above the national share

5 of Sequoyah County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 55.6% of all its tracts.

An estimated 8,598 residents, roughly 20.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,308 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Sequoyah County

Sequoyah County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • arena plaza, muldrow
  • best-mart, sallisaw
  • caseys general store 3510, sallisaw
  • cox's corner, muldrow
  • gans git n go, muldrow
  • hwy 64 express, roland
  • jiff mart, sallisaw
  • littlefieldexpress #23 923, roland
  • littlefieldexpress #4 904, muldrow
  • love's country store 120, vian
  • maple st corner store, sallisaw
  • muldrow corner store, muldrow
  • murphy usa 7822, sallisaw
  • pic n tote diamond, sallisaw
  • pier 7, sallisaw
  • pilot travel center 196, roland
  • pit fuel llc, sallisaw
  • quick stop market, sallisaw
  • quik stop grocery & gas llc, gore
  • quiktrip 7017, sallisaw
  • ranger express 2, roland
  • short stop, vian
  • sallisaw travel stop, sallisaw
  • w w grocery, muldrow

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • braum's 213, sallisaw
  • dollar general 1870, sallisaw
  • dollar general 19517, muldrow
  • dollar general 1983, muldrow
  • dollar tree 2576, sallisaw
  • dollar general 13466, gore
  • dollar general 17199, sallisaw
  • dollar general 19864, vian
  • dollar general 21734, roland
  • dollar general 22285, gans
  • dollar general 23993, sallisaw
  • dollar general 30512, roland
  • dollar general 31029, muldrow
  • dollar general 3967, gore
  • dollar general 6783, vian
  • dollar general 7803, sallisaw
  • dollar general store 17921, sallisaw
  • family dollar 13281, muldrow
  • family dollar 13413, gore
  • family dollar 13414, vian

Super Store · 5

  • 10box cost-plus 506, sallisaw
  • harps food store 187, gore
  • harps food store 510, roland
  • harps food store 546, vian
  • walmart supercenter 47, sallisaw

Farmers' Market · 1

  • marble city farmers and art market, marble city

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • p&p produce & more, sallisaw

Supermarket · 1

  • piggly wiggly, muldrow

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Compare Sequoyah County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Sequoyah County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Sequoyah County has low food access?
20.3% of residents in Sequoyah County, OK 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 Sequoyah County?
21.2% of households in Sequoyah County receive SNAP, covering 3,283 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Sequoyah County?
The poverty rate in Sequoyah County, OK is 20.2%, with a median household income of $51,093 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Sequoyah County a food desert?
5 of Sequoyah County's 9 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 Sequoyah County households lack a vehicle?
5.2% of households in Sequoyah 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.