Signature · 37.4% low-access (84th pct)
Smith County, KS
Smith County sits in the upper national band on low-access (37.4%, +15.3 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 37.4%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.6%
- on SNAP
- 4K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Smith County, KS
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 37.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +15.3 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Brown County (+ 0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Smith County sits in the upper national band (37.4%, #509 of 3,079).
- #509
- national by low-access %
- #20
- in KS
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 435
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 37.4% low-access (84th pct) (+15.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Smith County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Smith County's 37.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 84% of them and ranked #510 most-affected nationwide.
Smith County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Smith County has 0 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Smith County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Kansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Brown 37.7
Brown 37.7%
37.7 % low-access
- Smith 37.4
Smith 37.4%
37.4 % low-access
- Geary 36.9
Geary 36.9%
36.9 % low-access
- Elk 36.8
Elk 36.8%
36.8 % low-access
- Cloud 36.7
Cloud 36.7%
36.7 % low-access
- Jefferson 1.1
Jefferson 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 3,853 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,440 |
| Low-Access Share | 37.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 435 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,552 |
| Median Household Income | $59,135 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 89 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
SNAP retailers in Smith County
Smith County has 6 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 3 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 3
- alta 6214, smith center
- casey's general store 3579, smith center
- ladow's market, lebanon
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 10856, smith center
Small Grocery Store · 1
- kensington community store, kensington
Supermarket · 1
- genes heartland foods 712, smith center
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Kansas
One of 104 counties in Kansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Smith County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →
Smith County inside a higher low-access state context
Smith County sits inside Kansas (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Smith County, KS are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 20183. 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.