PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kentucky

Taylor County, KY

Taylor 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.

8.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.1%
on SNAP
26K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KY

The food-access picture

8.2% of Taylor County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
706
food-desert residents
5.8%
households, no vehicle
17.5%
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).

Taylor County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.2% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,008 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 706 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 Taylor County compares nationally

Taylor County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.2% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,629).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Taylor County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 census tracts in Taylor 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 Taylor County, KY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (80.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 80% Limited 0% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Taylor County, KY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Taylor County vs. other Kentucky counties

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

% 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 Taylor County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)24,512
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,008
Low-Access Share8.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population706

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Taylor County
IndicatorValue
Population26,397
Median Household Income$60,456
Poverty Rate17.5%above the national average
SNAP Households1,550
SNAP Participation Rate15.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.8%
SNAP participation in Taylor County 15.1%

About 15.1% of Taylor County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,550 households here.
  • 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Taylor County

near the national share

1 of Taylor County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,008 residents, roughly 8.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 706 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Taylor County

Taylor County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • central mart, campbellsville
  • convenient food mart, campbellsville
  • east way market 2 - marathon, campbellsville
  • east way market 4, campbellsville
  • east way market 5, campbellsville
  • fivestar 2211, campbellsville
  • fivestar 2214, campbellsville
  • keshar bhavni 3 inc - east way market 3, campbellsville
  • mini mart, campbellsville
  • murphy usa 5697, campbellsville
  • om food mart, mannsville
  • prayosha a inc., campbellsville
  • s & s food mart, campbellsville
  • smiley's # 2, campbellsville
  • star food mart, campbellsville
  • t-mart#2, campbellsville
  • teg food stores 3, campbellsville
  • teg food stores 5, campbellsville

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • cvs pharmacy 6338, campbellsville
  • dollar general 10981, campbellsville
  • dollar general 13882, campbellsville
  • dollar general 7366, campbellsville
  • dollar general 17729, campbellsville
  • dollar general 1817, campbellsville
  • dollar general 21427, campbellsville
  • dollar general 21886, campbellsville
  • dollar tree 2541, campbellsville
  • mi nayarit 1, campbellsville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • green river meats, campbellsville
  • penns country hams, campbellsville

Super Store · 2

  • kroger #l-00369 l369, campbellsville
  • walmart 665, campbellsville

Farmers' Market · 1

  • farmers' market association, inc. of taylor county, campbellsville

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • wengerd's market, campbellsville

Supermarket · 1

  • price less iga 591, campbellsville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kentucky

Adair County
6.5% low-access · 16.9% SNAP
Allen County
21.7% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Anderson County
7.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Ballard County
0.0% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Barren County
15.5% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Bath County
1.7% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Compare Taylor County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →

Food access nationally, Kentucky in context

Taylor County sits inside Kentucky (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 Taylor County has low food access? ▼
8.2% of residents in Taylor County, KY 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 Taylor County? ▼
15.1% of households in Taylor County receive SNAP, covering 1,550 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Taylor County? ▼
The poverty rate in Taylor County, KY is 17.5%, with a median household income of $60,456 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Taylor County a food desert? ▼
1 of Taylor County's 5 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 Taylor County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.8% of households in Taylor 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.