County food-access profile · Louisiana
St. Helena Parish, LA
Most of St. Helena Parish sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 6.0%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 30.7%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
6.0% of St. Helena Parish residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 307
- food-desert residents
- 10.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 32.4%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, St. Helena Parish fares better than most: just 6.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 2 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 674 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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. Helena Parish compares nationally
Food access in St. Helena Parish compares favorably nationally: its 6.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,765).
St. Helena Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 2 census tracts in St. Helena Parish, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
St. Helena Parish vs. other Louisiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Louisiana
- St. Helena Parish 6
St. Helena Parish, LA
6 % low-access
- Acadia Parish 6.6
Acadia Parish, LA
6.6 % low-access
- Allen Parish
Allen Parish, LA
28.1 % low-access
- Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish, LA
42.3 % low-access
- Assumption Parish 0.9
Assumption Parish, LA
0.9 % low-access
- Avoyelles Parish
Avoyelles Parish, LA
20.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,203 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 674 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 307 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,858 |
| Median Household Income | $41,934 |
| Poverty Rate | 32.4%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,281 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 30.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 30.7% of St. Helena Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 6.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 30.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,281 households here.
- 10.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $41,934 with a 32.4% poverty rate.
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. Helena Parish
below the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 674 residents, roughly 6.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 307 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in St. Helena Parish
St. Helena Parish has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- a2z mart, greensburg
- best stop quick mart 21, independence
- grand paradise, pine grove
- greensburg chevron 600, greensburg
- kent kwik 992, greensburg
- lnc darlington grocery llc, greensburg
- millers grocery, amite
- main street market & deli of greensburg 01, greensburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 10210, greensburg
- dollar general 17361, pine grove
- dollar general 25805, greensburg
- family dollar 8482, greensburg
Farmers' Market · 1
- st helena farmers market, greensburg
Large Grocery Store · 1
- greensburg market, greensburg
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- voiron's abattoir, greensburg
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- vks easleyville, greensburg
Small Grocery Store · 1
- buddy's greensburg, greensburg
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Louisiana
Compare St. Helena Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →
Food access nationally, Louisiana in context
St. Helena Parish sits inside Louisiana (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. Helena Parish has low food access? ▼
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Is St. Helena Parish a food desert? ▼
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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.