County food-access profile · Missouri
St. Charles County, MO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of St. Charles 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).
- 39.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 3.6%
- on SNAP
- 415K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
39.2% of St. Charles County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 79 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 50
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 3.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 5.2%
- 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 St. Charles County's low-access share at 39.2%, above the national share. 50 of the county's 79 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 141,435 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 17,694 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 St. Charles County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, St. Charles County's 39.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #433 most-affected nationwide.
St. Charles County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 79 census tracts in St. Charles County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
St. Charles County vs. other Missouri counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri
- St. Charles
St. Charles County, MO
39.2 % 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 | 79 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 360,485 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 50 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 141,435 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 17,694 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 414,535 |
| Median Household Income | $104,692 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,871 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 3.6% of St. Charles County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 39.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 3.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,871 households here.
- 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 St. Charles County
above the national share
1 of St. Charles County's 79 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 1.3% of all its tracts.
A further 49 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 50.
An estimated 141,435 residents, roughly 39.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 17,694 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 29 tracts (36.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in St. Charles County
St. Charles County has 214 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 98 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 98
- 7-eleven store #26923a, saint peters
- 7-eleven store 25859e, saint peters
- 7-eleven store 26911f, saint peters
- 94 convenience, saint peters
- arch energy lc 635, o'fallon
- bluestone mexico,llc, saint peters
- circle k 4701684, wentzville
- circle k 4701687, o fallon
- caledonia moto 3351, o fallon
- circle k 1629, saint charles
- circle k 1643, o fallon
- circle k 1644, saint charles
- circle k 4701637, o fallon
- circle k 4701639, saint peters
- circle k 4701641, saint charles
- circle k 4701642, saint charles
- circle k 4701645, saint charles
- circle k 4701652, lake saint louis
- circle k 4701682, saint peters
- circle k 4701686, saint peters
- circle k 4701688, wentzville
- circle k 4701690, dardenne prairie
- copia management inc, saint charles
- country club car wash 1470, saint peters
- country club car wash 1670, wentzville
- discovery motomart 3357, st. charles
- fastlane 46, lake saint louis
- fastlane dardenne 11, o fallon
- fastlane hwy 79 22, o fallon
- fastlane hwy 94 7, saint charles
- fastlane 36, wentzville
- fastlane 38, o fallon
- fastlane 39, saint peters
- fastlane 79 crossing 42, saint peters
- fastlane cottleville 34, saint peters
- fastlane foristell 41, foristell
- fastlane muegge 40, st. charles
- fastlane tr hughes 33, o fallon
- fastlane winghaven 44, o fallon
- gas n shop, lake saint louis
- howdy gas mart, o fallon
- huck's 222, harvester
- huck's 237, saint charles
- huck's 267, o fallon
- huck's 391, lake st louis
- india bazaar, saint peters
- lion petroleum, wentzville
- lp mart st. peters, saint peters
- midtown, saint charles
- midwest petroleum 16, saint charles
- midwest petroleum 17, o fallon
- midwest petroleum 18, o fallon
- mobil on the run 1619, wentzville
- mobil on the run 616, saint peters
- mobil on the run 621, saint peters
- mobil on the run 627, saint charles
- mobil on the run 629, saint charles
- mobil on the run 630, o fallon
- murphy usa 7289, lake saint louis
- new town boulevard motomart 3369, saint charles
- nutrition stop, saint peters
- pilot travel center 715, foristell
- quiktrip 602, saint charles
- quiktrip 603, saint charles
- quiktrip 604, saint peters
- quiktrip 606, saint peters
- quiktrip 608, saint peters
- quiktrip 619, saint peters
- quiktrip 623r, saint charles
- quiktrip 632, o fallon
- quiktrip 640, o fallon
- quiktrip 643, o fallon
- quiktrip 645, weldon spring
- quiktrip 654, wentzville
- quiktrip 657, dardenne prairie
- quiktrip 660, saint charles
- quiktrip 662, o fallon
- quiktrip 663, wentzville
- quiktrip 669, lake saint louis
- quiktrip 673, saint charles
- quiktrip 675, o fallon
- rocket 4216, saint charles
- rocket 4217, o fallon
- rocket 4218, o fallon
- rocket 4227, wentzville
- rocket 4237, saint peters
- rocket 4267, saint charles
- rocket 4268, saint peters
- rocket 4269, saint charles
- rocket 4274, lake saint louis
- runny meade liquor, o fallon
- st. charles motomart 3352, saint charles
- wallis petroleum lc 515, wentzville
- wallis petroleum lc 516, o fallon
- wallis petroleum lc 517, wentzville
- wallis petroleum lc 535, saint charles
- wentzville motomart 3374, wentzville
- wentzville one stop shop, wentzville
Combination Grocery/Other · 61
- cvs 10418, saint peters
- cvs 10546, o fallon
- cvs pharmacy #10134 10134, o fallon
- cvs pharmacy 10053, saint peters
- cvs pharmacy 10096, saint charles
- cvs pharmacy 10193, wentzville
- cvs pharmacy 6282, saint charles
- cvs pharmacy 6477, o fallon
- dollar general 19613, wentzville
- dollar general 20278, saint charles
- dollartree 10349, saint peters
- dollartree 11020, ofallon
- dollartree 9389, saint peters
- desi market, o fallon
- dollar general 10725, saint charles
- dollar general 11595, saint peters
- dollar general 12026, saint charles
- dollar general 12212, saint charles
- dollar general 1233, o fallon
- dollar general 21815, saint charles
- dollar general 21818, wentzville
- dollar general 21849, lake saint louis
- dollar general 22039, saint charles
- dollar general 24718, o fallon
- dollar general 24912, foristell
- dollar general 30363, o fallon
- dollar general 3177, wentzville
- dollar tree 3239, lake saint louis
- dollar tree 3360, wentzville
- dollar tree 485, saint charles
- dollar tree 4923, saint charles
- dollar tree 5656, saint peters
- dollar tree 622, saint peters
- dollar tree 6420, saint charles
- dollar tree 6430, saint charles
- dollar tree 8512, saint charles
- dollar tree 906, o fallon
- krystals produce, saint charles
- mannino's market 2, flint hill
- walgreens 06493, lake st louis
- walgreens 10474, saint peters
- walgreens 11311, wentzville
- walgreens 11422, o fallon
- walgreens 11627, saint charles
- walgreens 11628, wentzville
- walgreens 2617, saint charles
- walgreens 2733, saint peters
- walgreens 3243, saint charles
- walgreens 3687, saint peters
- walgreens 4090, o fallon
- walgreens 4584, wentzville
- walgreens 4970, saint charles
- walgreens 5552, o fallon
- walgreens 5748, o fallon
- walgreens 5974, saint peters
- walgreens 6059, weldon spring
- walgreens 6246, saint peters
- walgreens 6247, saint charles
- walgreens 6286, o fallon
- walgreens 6711, o fallon
- walgreens 6801, saint charles
Super Store · 37
- costco wholesale 0382, saint peters
- dierbergs 79 crossing 22, saint peters
- dierbergs 94 crossing 16, saint peters
- dierbergs bogey hills 9, saint charles
- dierbergs deer creek 17, o fallon
- dierbergs lake st. louis 26, lake saint louis
- dierbergs wentzville 23, wentzville
- fresh thyme market 403ofl, o fallon
- fresh thyme market 406stp, saint peters
- midtowne market, saint charles
- ruler 411, saint charles
- sam's club 4875, wentzville
- sam's club 8251, saint charles
- schnucks 110, saint peters
- schnucks 111, saint charles
- schnucks 123, o fallon
- schnucks 124, saint peters
- schnucks 129, o fallon
- schnucks 135, lake st louis
- schnucks 138, saint peters
- schnucks 176, st. charles
- schnucks 213, dardenne prairie
- schnucks 219, saint charles
- schnucks 228, saint charles
- schnucks 725, wentzville
- target stores t- 1035, saint peters
- target stores t- 1241, o fallon
- target stores t- 1280, saint charles
- target stores t- 2103, dardenne prairie
- target stores t- 2345, wentzville
- walmart 2616, o fallon
- walmart neighborhood market 5421, saint peters
- walmart neighborhood market 5427, saint peters
- walmart sc 243, wentzville
- walmart sc 5313, lake saint louis
- walmart sc 648, saint peters
- walmart supercenter 1161, saint charles
Supermarket · 11
- aldi 41023, o fallon
- aldi 41024, wentzville
- aldi 41030, saint charles
- aldi 41031, saint peters
- aldi 41046, st peters
- aldi 41067, saint charles
- aldi 77036 77036, lake saint louis
- gordon food service store mp187, saint peters
- mannino's market, cottleville
- save a lot 30090, wentzville
- save a lot 61364, saint charles
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- anthonys produce inc, saint peters
- charles rallo meat co, o fallon
- hebron market 1, saint charles
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's mo042 st peters mo mo042, saint peters
Farmers' Market · 1
- lake st. louis farmers & artists market, lake saint louis
Large Grocery Store · 1
- valenti's meat market & bakery, saint peters
Small Grocery Store · 1
- hala market 1, o fallon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Missouri
Compare St. Charles County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
St. Charles 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 St. Charles County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in St. Charles County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in St. Charles County? ▼
Is St. Charles County a food desert? ▼
What share of St. Charles 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.