County food-access profile · Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish, LA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of St. Tammany 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).
- 32.8%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 9.0%
- on SNAP
- 272K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.8% of St. Tammany Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 42 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 26
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 4.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.4%
- 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).
USDA data puts St. Tammany Parish's low-access share at 32.8%, above the national share. 26 of the county's 42 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 76,598 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 18,320 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. Tammany Parish compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, St. Tammany Parish's 32.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 76% of them and ranked #759 most-affected nationwide.
St. Tammany Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 42 census tracts in St. Tammany Parish, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
St. Tammany Parish vs. other Louisiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Louisiana
- St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish, LA
32.8 % 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 | 42 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 233,740 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 26 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 76,598 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.8%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 18,320 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 272,421 |
| Median Household Income | $81,202 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,460 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 9.0% of St. Tammany Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,460 households here.
- 4.3% 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. Tammany Parish
above the national share
4 of St. Tammany Parish's 42 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.5% of all its tracts.
A further 22 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 26.
An estimated 76,598 residents, roughly 32.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 18,320 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 16 tracts (38.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish has 192 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 81 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 81
- 1 stop mart, slidell
- bargain stop 27, mandeville
- bayou stuf, lacombe
- best stop 27, covington
- big boss friends 2 llc, abita springs
- big boss on your way, slidell
- bush shell 2, bush
- circle k 2703763, covington
- circle k 2706813, mandeville
- circle k 2707285, covington
- circle k 2709736, covington
- circle k 2721594, slidell
- circle k 2723741, slidell
- circle k 2723744, slidell
- circle k 2723756, covington
- circle k 2723764, mandeville
- circle k 2723991, slidell
- circle k store 2704487, slidell
- circle k store 2706626, pearl river
- circle k store 2706627, sldell
- circle k stores inc. 2707675, slidell
- circle k stores inc. 2707676, slidell
- circle k stores inc. 2707678, slidell
- circle k stores, inc 2707674, slidell
- circle k stores, inc 2707677, slidell
- citgo hop-in, slidell
- diaz market covington cov, covington
- diaz market florida flo, mandeville
- diaz market hwy 59 & lonesome, mandeville
- diaz market tyler street, covington
- flowers bakery outlet 202, slidell
- frankie chicken food mart jfa3 inc. 1, pearl river
- fremaux food and gas, slidell
- fuel smart, mandeville
- gause chevron 4, slidell
- gujjar petroleum llc, abita springs
- happy quick stop, bush
- hop in, slidell
- hopin hwy 190, slidell
- hwy 59 chevron 130, mandeville
- jr food mart 363, abita springs
- jr food mart 369, folsom
- kent kwik 980, slidell
- kent kwik 982, mandeville
- kent kwik 983, slidell
- kent kwik 984, mandeville
- lnc cranky corner llc, folsom
- love's travel stop 856, mandeville
- mandeville quick stop, mandeville
- mi gente grocery, slidell
- moody's time saver, slidell
- murphy express 8758, covington
- murphy usa 6990, slidell
- new latin market llc, slidell
- northshore chevron 110, slidell
- om pearl river oil inc, pearl river
- one stop market & liquor, lacombe
- peacock chevron, covington
- quick way 4, covington
- quiktrip 7381, slidell
- race trac 2372, slidell
- racetrac 266, slidell
- racetrac 292, covington
- racetrac 380, slidell
- racetrac 573, slidell
- racetrac 673, covington
- racetrac 2579, mandeville
- ray's time saver, slidell
- redfish gas and go, slidell
- rush express, pearl river
- shell (chicken and deli corner), folsom
- shell food & gas, slidell
- shell mart, covington
- singh brothers two, lacombe
- slidell quick stop, slidell
- stop n shop 15, slidell
- sunny time pilot 1, pearl river
- swifty's 39, mandeville
- ta slidell 180, slidell
- texaco food and gas, covington
- we dat stop, covington
Combination Grocery/Other · 65
- cvs 5473, slidell
- cvs 7192, slidell
- cvs pharmacy inc 5435, mandeville
- cvs pharmacy 7003, covington
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 5330, slidell
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 5469, covington
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 5614, covington
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 6360, mandeville
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7224, st. tammany
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 8922, covington
- dollar general 10355, slidell
- dollar general 13943, folsom
- dollar general 18417, talisheek
- dollar general 19301, slidell
- dollar general 2740, slidell
- dollar general 3751, covington
- dollar general 6085, abita springs
- dollar general 7594, lacombe
- dollar general 7929, slidell
- dollar general 8703, covington
- dollar general 9453, pearl river
- dollar general 9510, slidell
- dollar general 9535, bush
- dollar general 9739, folsom
- dollartree 9898, pearl river
- dollar general 10500, slidell
- dollar general 11409, slidell
- dollar general 12728, pearl river
- dollar general 20467, slidell
- dollar general 20844, lacombe
- dollar general 21329, bogalusa
- dollar general 21603, folsom
- dollar general 22702, covington
- dollar general 23413, mandeville
- dollar general 25624, covington
- dollar general 5843, madisonville
- dollar general 6366, mandeville
- dollar general 6578, slidell
- dollar general 6798, covington
- dollar general 7965, mandeville
- dollar general 8450, mandeville
- dollar tree 2722, covington
- dollar tree 3987, mandeville
- dollar tree 4372, covington
- dollar tree 4926, slidell
- dollar tree 5639, slidell
- dollar tree 610, slidell
- dollar tree 6730, slidell
- dollar tree 8486, slidell
- family dollar 11276, covington
- family dollar 3951, pearl river
- family dollar 7491, lacombe
- family dollar 7705, slidell
- lishmans fresh foods, lacombe
- walgreens 03990, covington
- walgreens 05382, mandeville
- walgreens 06849, mandeville
- walgreens 09990, covington
- walgreens 11996, abita springs
- walgreens 13876, slidell
- walgreens 4285, slidell
- walgreens 03440, mandeville
- walgreens 09645, covington
- walgreens 4007, slidell
- walgreens 4290, slidell
Super Store · 20
- costco wholesale 1670, covington
- dollar general market 14917, covington
- mizer's foods, slidell
- rouses market 20, covington
- rouses market 21, mandeville
- rouses market 22, slidell
- rouses market 32, mandeville
- rouses market 75, covington
- sam's club 4874, covington
- sam's club 6220, slidell
- target store t 1876, covington
- target store t3441, mandeville
- walmart 541, covington
- walmart neighborhood market 3042, covington
- walmart neighborhood market 5832, mandeville
- walmart neighborhood market 6577, slidell
- walmart neighborhood market 6588, slidell
- walmart supercenter 553, slidell
- walmart supercenter 2665, slidell
- whole foods market 10631, mandeville
Supermarket · 18
- aldi 76167, slidell
- aldi 82086, covington
- aldi 82148, covington
- aldi 82152, slidell
- aldi 82204, slidell
- acquistapace's covington supermarket, covington
- cash saver, slidell
- jubilee foods 20, pearl river
- main's market, folsom
- morenita plus 1, slidell
- piggly wiggly 9, slidell
- piggly wiggly express 4, bush
- saia's super meat market, mandeville
- saia's super meat market, mandeville
- the salvage store, folsom
- the fresh market 062, mandeville
- winn dixie 1443, covington
- winn dixie 1500, mandeville
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- stop 2 shop, slidell
- time saver voter, slidell
Small Grocery Store · 2
- amigos tortilla & grocery inc, covington
- maxs, slidell
Farmers' Market · 1
- camellia city market, inc., slidell
Large Grocery Store · 1
- piggly wiggly, madisonville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mel's armond specialty meats & processing, slidell
Seafood Specialty · 1
- kenney seafood inc, slidell
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Louisiana
Compare St. Tammany Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →
Food access nationally, Louisiana in context
St. Tammany 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. Tammany Parish has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in St. Tammany Parish? ▼
What is the poverty rate in St. Tammany Parish? ▼
Is St. Tammany Parish a food desert? ▼
What share of St. Tammany Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.