PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Stephens County, OK

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

27.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
17.6%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

27.4% of Stephens County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
18.0%
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 Stephens County's low-access share at 27.4%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,334 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,852 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 Stephens County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Stephens County's 27.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,123 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Stephens County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Stephens 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 Stephens County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (36.4%) 5 tracts limited (45.5%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 36% Limited 45% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Stephens County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Stephens County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Stephens County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,048
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population12,334
Low-Access Share27.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,852

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Stephens County
IndicatorValue
Population43,551
Median Household Income$61,620
Poverty Rate18.0%above the national average
SNAP Households3,096
SNAP Participation Rate17.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.4%
SNAP participation in Stephens County 17.6%

About 17.6% of Stephens County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 17.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,096 households here.
  • 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Stephens County

above the national share

2 of Stephens County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 12,334 residents, roughly 27.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,852 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (36.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Stephens County

Stephens County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 19 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • braum's 42, duncan
  • brooks meat market, duncan
  • cvs pharmacy 10274, duncan
  • cable meat center, inc., marlow
  • dollar general 0294, duncan
  • dollar general 3175, duncan
  • dollar general 3841, marlow
  • dollar general 4909, comanche
  • dollar general 9434, duncan
  • dollar tree 1816, duncan
  • dollar general 21300, duncan
  • dollar general 22331, duncan
  • dollar general 31080, duncan
  • family dollar 11718, velma
  • family dollar 13512, comanche
  • family dollar store 3885, duncan
  • family dollar store 4682, marlow
  • garden market, duncan
  • walgreens 05142, duncan

Convenience Store · 18

  • asap general stores 313, duncan
  • casey's 4584, marlow
  • chisholm corner 7931, duncan
  • chisholm corner 7932, duncan
  • chisholm corner 7933, duncan
  • chisholm corner 7935, marlow
  • chisholm corner 7941, duncan
  • chisholm corner 7943, marlow
  • chisholm corner 7948, duncan
  • duncan food mart, duncan
  • egdewood napolis 9, comanche
  • love's travel stops & country stores inc 55, comanche
  • love's travel stops & country stores inc 56, marlow
  • love's travel stops & country stores, inc 29, duncan
  • loves travel stops & country stores, inc. 13, marlow
  • nak's store, comanche
  • napolis 3, marlow
  • speedy g's convenience store, llc, velma

Supermarket · 3

  • delberts discount foods, comanche
  • homeland 182, duncan
  • marlow food market, marlow

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • joes market place, velma
  • ridley's butcher shop, inc., duncan

Farmers' Market · 1

  • think ability farmers market, duncan

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 1116, duncan

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Stephens County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Stephens County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Stephens County has low food access? ▼
27.4% of residents in Stephens County, OK 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 Stephens County? ▼
17.6% of households in Stephens County receive SNAP, covering 3,096 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Stephens County? ▼
The poverty rate in Stephens County, OK is 18.0%, with a median household income of $61,620 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Stephens County a food desert? ▼
2 of Stephens 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 Stephens County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Stephens 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.