Signature · 11.9% SNAP (26th pct in KY)
Simpson County, KY
Simpson 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.
- 17.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Simpson County, KY
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 17.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -4.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lincoln County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Simpson County ranks #1,871 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #36 of 110 counties in KY (17.9% low-access).
- #1,871
- national by low-access %
- #36
- in KY
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 11.9% SNAP (26th pct in KY) (-0.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Simpson County compares nationally
Simpson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.9% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,871).
Simpson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Simpson County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Simpson County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Kentucky, not a full county-board reprint
- Robertson
Robertson 74.8%
74.8 % low-access
- Daviess 18.9
Daviess 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Hancock 18.5
Hancock 18.5%
18.5 % low-access
- Simpson 17.9
Simpson 17.9%
17.9 % low-access
- Lincoln 17.8
Lincoln 17.8%
17.8 % low-access
- Mason 17.6
Mason 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,327 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,099 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,176 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,972 |
| Median Household Income | $59,858 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 955 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
SNAP retailers in Simpson County
Simpson County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 21 authorized stores; Franklin holds 95% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Woodburn.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 20 | 4 |
| Woodburn | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- circle k 4703380, franklin
- casey's general store 3636, franklin
- fivestar 4500, franklin
- franklin food mart 1, franklin
- murphy express 8699, franklin
- pilot travel center 438, franklin
- pilot travel center 46, franklin
- pilot travel center 661, franklin
- t-mart 2, franklin
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 8905, franklin
- dollar general 0062, franklin
- dollar general 11941, woodburn
- dollar general 22970, franklin
- dollar general 25677, franklin
- dollar tree 3995, franklin
- sudden service 0062, franklin
Super Store · 2
- dollar general market 9810, franklin
- walmart supercenter 282, franklin
Supermarket · 2
- piggly wiggly 010, franklin
- price less iga 490, franklin
Small Grocery Store · 1
- latino market la centroamericana, franklin
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kentucky
One of 119 counties in Kentucky, 6 are shown here.
Compare Simpson County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Nationwide peers for Simpson County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Simpson County (11.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Kentucky.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside KY (17.9% here).
- Boone County, IN · 17.9% low-access
- Wayne County, MS · 17.9% low-access
- Wayne County, GA · 17.9% low-access
- Decatur County, GA · 17.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside KY (11.9% here).
- Crawford County, KS · 11.9% SNAP
- Jersey County, IL · 11.9% SNAP
- Mackinac County, MI · 11.9% SNAP
- Scotts Bluff County, NE · 11.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Kentucky among East South Central states
Kentucky ranks 4th of 4 East South Central states by population-weighted low-access (19.8%). Simpson County, at 17.9%, runs 1.9 pts below the Kentucky rate.
- Tennessee 27.2%
- Mississippi 26.4%
- Alabama 24.5%
- Kentucky 19.8%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Simpson County, KY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 21213. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.