Signature · 3 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
St. Francis County, AR
St. Francis County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 47.2% low-access.
- 47.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 24.3%
- on SNAP
- 22K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County St. Francis County, AR
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 47.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +25.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 24.3% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 13.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Arkansas County ( -0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
St. Francis County sits in the upper national band (47.2%, #240 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #240
- national by low-access %
- #4
- in AR
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- 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: 3 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How St. Francis County compares nationally
St. Francis County 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.
St. Francis County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, St. Francis County has 2 urban and 4 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.
St. Francis County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Nevada
Nevada 54.2%
54.2 % low-access
- Dallas
Dallas 52%
52 % low-access
- St. Francis
St. Francis 47.2%
47.2 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas 47%
47 % low-access
- Lee
Lee 44.6%
44.6 % low-access
- Izard 0.9
Izard 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,258 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 13,344 |
| Low-Access Share | 47.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,453 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 22,400 |
| Median Household Income | $42,574 |
| Poverty Rate | 28.5%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,888 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 13.3%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 13.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in St. Francis County
St. Francis County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (64% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- chubby's at forrest city, forrest city
- city food & fuel llc, forrest city
- dk 13904, palestine
- express side market inc, forrest city
- ez food mart, forrest city
- flash market 17040, forrest city
- hari food mart 2, forrest city
- jordans kwik stop 42, forrest city
- jordans kwik stop 57, colt
- jordans kwik stop 58, forrest city
- jordans kwik stop 59, forrest city
- lakeside grocery, heth
- loves travel stops & country store 275, palestine
- mapco express, inc 3154, wheatly
- madi son kwik stop, madison
- martin's grocery, widener
- murphy usa 6523, forrest city
- palestine express, palestine
- speedway 9305, forrest city
- sun rise express, forrest city
- super stop, forrest city
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 11344, hughes
- dollar general 12085, forrest city
- dollar general 14772, forrest city
- dollar general 18099, palestine
- dollar general 30436, forrest city
- dollar tree 1813, forrest city
- family dollar 13585, forrest city
Farmers' Market · 1
- forrest city farmers market, forrest city
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- worley's veg mkt, forrest city
Seafood Specialty · 1
- burnt cane fish market, widener
Super Store · 1
- walmart 91, forrest city
Supermarket · 1
- edwards cash saver 19, forrest city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Arkansas
One of 74 counties in Arkansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare St. Francis County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Counties near St. Francis County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for St. Francis County, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AR (47.2% here).
- Franklin County, KS · 47.2% low-access
- Franklin County, KS · 47.2% low-access
- St. Charles Parish, LA · 47.2% low-access
- St. Charles Parish, LA · 47.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AR (24.3% here).
- Lake County, CA · 24.3% SNAP
- Lake County, CA · 24.3% SNAP
- Vance County, NC · 24.3% SNAP
- Vance County, NC · 24.3% 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.
St. Francis County inside a higher low-access state context
St. Francis County sits inside Arkansas (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 St. Francis County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05123. 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.