PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

St. Francois County, MO

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of St. Francois 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).

20.6%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
15.6%
on SNAP
67K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

20.6% of St. Francois County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
6.6%
households, no vehicle
15.9%
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. Francois County's low-access share at 20.6%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,484 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,114 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. Francois County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, St. Francois County's 20.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,638 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

St. Francois County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in St. Francois 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. Francois County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (54.5%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 55% Limited 18% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: St. Francois County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

St. Francois County vs. other Missouri counties

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

% 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. Francois County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)65,359
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population13,484
Low-Access Share20.6%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,114

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for St. Francois County
IndicatorValue
Population66,999
Median Household Income$57,477
Poverty Rate15.9%above the national average
SNAP Households3,863
SNAP Participation Rate15.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.1%
SNAP participation in St. Francois County 15.6%

About 15.6% of St. Francois County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,863 households here.
  • 6.6% 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. Francois County

above the national share

3 of St. Francois County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 13,484 residents, roughly 20.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,114 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (54.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in St. Francois County

St. Francois County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • bonne terre shell, bonne terre
  • c mart, park hills
  • casey's 3802, desloge
  • casey's 3803, park hills
  • casey's 1149, farmington
  • casey's general store 2069, bonne terre
  • caseys general store 1137, farmington
  • cheap smokes & loans, farmington
  • circle k 4701683, bonne terre
  • eagle mart, farmington
  • leadington pit stop, park hills
  • mpc #03 1003, park hills
  • mpc #04 1004, farmington
  • mpc #06 1006, farmington
  • mpc #11 1011, farmington
  • mpc #15 1015, desloge
  • murphy usa 6870, desloge
  • ole tyme pantry, farmington
  • roy's 10, bismarck
  • roy's 7, bismarck
  • roy's 9, leadwood
  • sherry's quick mart, doe run
  • wallis petroleum 503, desloge

Combination Grocery/Other · 22

  • cvs pharmacy 10471, farmington
  • crystal and rich's produce, farmington
  • dollar general 18611, french village
  • dollar general 9284, bismarck
  • dollartree 9552, farmington
  • dollar general 1189, bonne terre
  • dollar general 1208, farmington
  • dollar general 1210, park hills
  • dollar general 12712, bonne terre
  • dollar general 15637, doe run
  • dollar general 20666, park hills
  • dollar general 21961, farmington
  • dollar general 22043, bonne terre
  • dollar general 23111, farmington
  • dollar general 4415, farmington
  • dollar general 4725, desloge
  • dollar general 5832, leadwood
  • dollar tree 3334, farmington
  • dollar tree 4076, desloge
  • f.l. porter foods, french village
  • the center cut slaughter and meat processing, farmington
  • walgreens 5624, farmington

Super Store · 6

  • 10 box cost-plus 204, bonne terre
  • harps food store 205, park hills
  • harps food store 206, farmington
  • schnucks 743, farmington
  • walmart sc 95, desloge
  • walmart supercenter 37, farmington

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 41003, farmington
  • aldi 41089, desloge
  • bonne terre save a lot, bonne terre
  • farmington save a lot, farmington
  • park hills save a lot, park hills

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • earth mother health foods, farmington
  • joliet hope center, park hills

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • mike's market, bismarck

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • farmington meat processing inc, farmington

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Missouri

Adair County
27.3% low-access · 9.0% SNAP
Andrew County
15.8% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Atchison County
5.1% low-access · 5.8% SNAP
Audrain County
22.6% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Barry County
19.7% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Barton County
56.5% low-access · 18.5% SNAP

Compare St. Francois County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

St. Francois County sits inside Missouri (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. Francois County has low food access? ▼
20.6% of residents in St. Francois County, MO 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. Francois County? ▼
15.6% of households in St. Francois County receive SNAP, covering 3,863 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in St. Francois County? ▼
The poverty rate in St. Francois County, MO is 15.9%, with a median household income of $57,477 (Census ACS 2024).
Is St. Francois County a food desert? ▼
3 of St. Francois County's 11 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. Francois County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.6% of households in St. Francois 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.