PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

St. Francis County, AR

St. Francis County 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
24.3%
on SNAP
22K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

47.2% of St. Francis County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
13.3%
households, no vehicle
28.5%
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. Francis County 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. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 13,344 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,453 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. 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.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

St. Francis County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in St. Francis County, 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. Francis County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (33.3%) 1 tracts limited (16.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 33% Limited 17% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: St. Francis County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

St. Francis County vs. other Arkansas counties

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

% 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. Francis County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,258
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population13,344
Low-Access Share47.2%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,453

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for St. Francis County
IndicatorValue
Population22,400
Median Household Income$42,574
Poverty Rate28.5%well above the national average
SNAP Households1,888
SNAP Participation Rate24.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle13.3%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population13.2%
SNAP participation in St. Francis County 24.3%

About 24.3% of St. Francis County 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.
  • 24.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,888 households here.
  • 13.3% 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. Francis County

well above the national share

3 of St. Francis County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 13,344 residents, roughly 47.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,453 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 retailers.

Other Counties in Arkansas

Arkansas County
47.0% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Ashley County
21.8% low-access · 13.2% SNAP
Baxter County
16.4% low-access · 8.5% SNAP
Benton County
24.9% low-access · 3.9% SNAP
Boone County
20.9% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Bradley County
23.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare St. Francis County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

St. Francis County sits inside Arkansas (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. Francis County has low food access? ▼
47.2% of residents in St. Francis County, AR 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. Francis County? ▼
24.3% of households in St. Francis County receive SNAP, covering 1,888 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in St. Francis County? ▼
The poverty rate in St. Francis County, AR is 28.5%, with a median household income of $42,574 (Census ACS 2024).
Is St. Francis County a food desert? ▼
3 of St. Francis County's 6 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. Francis County households lack a vehicle? ▼
13.3% of households in St. Francis County 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.