PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kansas

Sumner County, KS

Sumner County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

13.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
9.9%
on SNAP
22K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

The food-access picture

13.6% of Sumner County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

4
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.2%
households, no vehicle
10.6%
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).

Sumner County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.6% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,286 residents who live far from a supermarket. 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 Sumner County compares nationally

Sumner County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.6% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,234).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Sumner County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Sumner 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 Sumner County, KS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (33.3%) 4 tracts limited (66.7%) Adequate 33% Limited 67% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Sumner County, KS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Sumner County vs. other Kansas counties

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

% 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 Sumner County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,132
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population3,286
Low-Access Share13.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,138

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Sumner County
IndicatorValue
Population22,353
Median Household Income$63,951
Poverty Rate10.6%below the national average
SNAP Households887
SNAP Participation Rate9.9%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%
SNAP participation in Sumner County 9.9%

About 9.9% of Sumner County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 887 households here.
  • 6.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $63,951 with a 10.6% 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 Sumner County

near the national share

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 3,286 residents, roughly 13.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,138 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Sumner County

Sumner County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 9

  • casey's general store 2621, oxford
  • casey's general store 2947, belle plaine
  • casey's general store 2952, conway springs
  • caseys general store 3058, wellington
  • caseys general store 3059, wellington
  • jump start stores 9, south haven
  • love's country store 178, belle plaine
  • quick pick 8 8, argonia
  • u pump it 225, caldwell

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • braums 243, wellington
  • dollar general 15632, belle plaine
  • dollar general 17152, conway springs
  • dollar general 17258, caldwell
  • dollar general 2486, wellington
  • dollar tree 7549, wellington

Super Store · 2

  • dillon store 063, wellington
  • walmart sc 370, wellington

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • ediger's venture foods, caldwell

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • hired mans grocery & grill inc, conway springs

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • mayfield grocery and locker, mayfield

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kansas

Allen County
15.4% low-access · 9.3% SNAP
Anderson County
18.5% low-access · 5.2% SNAP
Atchison County
28.7% low-access · 10.9% SNAP
Barber County
11.5% low-access · 2.8% SNAP
Barton County
34.4% low-access · 7.0% SNAP
Bourbon County
27.5% low-access · 7.8% SNAP

Compare Sumner County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Food access nationally, Kansas in context

Sumner County sits inside Kansas (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 Sumner County has low food access? ▼
13.6% of residents in Sumner County, KS 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 Sumner County? ▼
9.9% of households in Sumner County receive SNAP, covering 887 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Sumner County? ▼
The poverty rate in Sumner County, KS is 10.6%, with a median household income of $63,951 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Sumner County a food desert? ▼
0 of Sumner County's 6 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Sumner County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.2% of households in Sumner 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.