PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

St. Mary Parish, LA

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

23.0%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
22.8%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

23.0% of St. Mary Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
11.3%
households, no vehicle
20.8%
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. Mary Parish's low-access share at 23.0%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,543 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,680 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. Mary Parish compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, St. Mary Parish's 23.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 54% of them and ranked #1,451 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

St. Mary Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in St. Mary 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. Mary Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (56.3%) 3 tracts limited (18.8%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 56% Limited 19% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: St. Mary Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

St. Mary 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. Mary Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)54,650
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population12,543
Low-Access Share23.0%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,680

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for St. Mary Parish
IndicatorValue
Population47,828
Median Household Income$52,576
Poverty Rate20.8%above the national average
SNAP Households4,204
SNAP Participation Rate22.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.3%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in St. Mary Parish 22.8%

About 22.8% of St. Mary Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 22.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,204 households here.
  • 11.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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. Mary Parish

above the national share

4 of St. Mary Parish's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 12,543 residents, roughly 23.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,680 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (56.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in St. Mary Parish

St. Mary Parish has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 20 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • cvs/ pharmacy 5289, morgan city
  • dollar general 0759, morgan city
  • dollar general 10371, baldwin
  • dollar general 10738, amelia
  • dollar general 13678, berwick
  • dollar general 1544, franklin
  • dollar general 1974, morgan city
  • dollar general 2321, patterson
  • dollar general 20243, centerville
  • dollar general 23803, morgan city
  • dollar tree 2376, morgan city
  • dollar tree 7807, franklin
  • dollar tree 8327, morgan city
  • family dollar 1124, morgan city
  • family dollar 1857, franklin
  • family dollar store 10713, patterson
  • family dollar store 10946, morgan city
  • raisas seafood 2, franklin
  • walgreens 10975, morgan city
  • walgreens 15587, franklin

Convenience Store · 18

  • anderson food mart, franklin
  • bee's convenience store cafe, jeanerette
  • circle k 2704475, amelia
  • circle k 2704640, morgan city
  • circle k 2706821, morgan city
  • circle k 2706836, patterson
  • circle k 2740373, franklin
  • discount food mart, baldwin
  • ganaways inc, morgan city
  • main express 2, franklin
  • mr. d's travel center and casino, franklin
  • murphy usa 5621, morgan city
  • one stop, morgan city
  • one stop convenience inc, baldwin
  • quick general food mart, morgan city
  • quick general mini mart, morgan city
  • stazione deli market #1 1, patterson
  • stazione deli market 2, morgan city

Super Store · 7

  • cannata's supermarket, inc, morgan city
  • deltas missys supermarket llc, patterson
  • raintree market, baldwin
  • rouses market 10, morgan city
  • walmart 311, franklin
  • walmart 540, morgan city
  • walmart neighborhood market 7099, morgan city

Seafood Specialty · 4

  • coonass seafood, morgan city
  • glynn's seafood and bait, morgan city
  • johnny's seafood market, jeanerette
  • md'z plaze, llc, franklin

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • centerville market, centerville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • la morita meat market, morgan city

Supermarket · 1

  • super 1 foods 647, franklin

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. Mary Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

St. Mary 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. Mary Parish has low food access? ▼
23.0% of residents in St. Mary 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. Mary Parish? ▼
22.8% of households in St. Mary Parish receive SNAP, covering 4,204 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in St. Mary Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in St. Mary Parish, LA is 20.8%, with a median household income of $52,576 (Census ACS 2024).
Is St. Mary Parish a food desert? ▼
4 of St. Mary Parish's 16 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. Mary Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.3% of households in St. Mary 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.