PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

St. Charles Parish, LA

St. Charles Parish sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

47.2%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
10.3%
on SNAP
51K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

47.2% of St. Charles Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
2.5%
households, no vehicle
11.7%
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).

St. Charles Parish carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 47.2% is well above the national share. 8 of the county's 13 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 24,922 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,953 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 Parish compares nationally

St. Charles Parish sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 47.2% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #240 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

St. Charles Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in St. Charles Parish, 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 St. Charles Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (38.5%) 5 tracts limited (38.5%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (23.1%) Adequate 38% Limited 38% Severe 23% Food-access tier distribution: St. Charles Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

St. Charles Parish vs. other Louisiana counties

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

% 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 St. Charles Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)52,780
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population24,922
Low-Access Share47.2%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,953

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for St. Charles Parish
IndicatorValue
Population51,396
Median Household Income$80,897
Poverty Rate11.7%below the national average
SNAP Households1,920
SNAP Participation Rate10.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in St. Charles Parish 10.3%

About 10.3% of St. Charles Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 47.2% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,920 households here.
  • 2.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 St. Charles Parish

well above the national share

3 of St. Charles Parish's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 23.1% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 24,922 residents, roughly 47.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,953 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (38.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in St. Charles Parish

St. Charles Parish has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • adel's gas stop 2, st. rose
  • ama food mart, ama
  • big river food & fuel 8, new sarpy
  • big river food and fuel 16, destrehan
  • big river food and fuel 18, saint rose
  • big river food and fuel 4, norco
  • big river food and fuel 5, paradis
  • birdies 15, paradis
  • birdies food & fuel 5, hahnville
  • birdies inc, hahnville
  • champion's express mart 50, boutte
  • circle k 2704203, destrehan
  • harry's one stop, la place
  • hop-in, boutte
  • murphy usa 7777, boutte
  • racetrac 482, saint rose
  • racetrac 488, boutte
  • racetrac 2646, des allemands
  • st rose discount market, saint rose
  • ta express st. rose 480, saint rose

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 05442, destrehan
  • dollar general 10497, saint rose
  • dollar general 1982, norco
  • dollar general 24076, luling
  • dollar general 7824, destrehan
  • dollar general 14815, luling
  • dollar general 23698, hahnville
  • dollar general 6871, paradis
  • dollar tree 2827, luling
  • family dollar store 11227, des allemands
  • family dollar store 5592, saint rose
  • walgreens 09861, boutte

Supermarket · 6

  • aldi 82144, luling
  • frank's supermarket, des allemands
  • norco's fresh market, norco
  • river road market & deli, destrehan
  • rivers market, boutte
  • winn-dixie 1588, destrehan

Farmers' Market · 2

  • german coast farmers market, incorporated 1, destrehan
  • german coast farmers' market, luling

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • hahnville supermarket, hahnville
  • river discount, saint rose

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • 3 hermanos tienda latina, saint rose
  • don villa #2 mini market, boutte

Super Store · 2

  • rouses markets 7, destrehan
  • walmart supercenter 2913, boutte

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • little willie enterprises, llc, boutte

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Louisiana

Acadia Parish
6.6% low-access · 24.4% SNAP
Allen Parish
28.1% low-access · 26.5% SNAP
Ascension Parish
42.3% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Assumption Parish
0.9% low-access · 19.9% SNAP
Avoyelles Parish
20.5% low-access · 27.9% SNAP
Beauregard Parish
55.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare St. Charles Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

St. Charles Parish sits inside Louisiana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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 Parish has low food access? ▼
47.2% of residents in St. Charles Parish, LA 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 St. Charles Parish? ▼
10.3% of households in St. Charles Parish receive SNAP, covering 1,920 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in St. Charles Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in St. Charles Parish, LA is 11.7%, with a median household income of $80,897 (Census ACS 2024).
Is St. Charles Parish a food desert? ▼
3 of St. Charles Parish's 13 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 St. Charles Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.5% of households in St. Charles Parish 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.