Signature · 3 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)
Tensas Parish, LA
Tensas Parish's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 58.9% low-access.
- 58.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 31.8%
- on SNAP
- 4K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Tensas Parish, LA
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 58.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +36.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 31.8% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 9.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Beauregard Parish ( -3.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Tensas Parish sits in the upper national band (58.9%, #130 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #130
- national by low-access %
- #1
- in LA
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .
How Tensas Parish compares nationally
Tensas Parish sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 58.9% low-access share outpaces 96% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #130 most-affected nationwide.
Tensas Parish's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
All 3 of Tensas Parish's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Tensas Parish vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Louisiana, not a full county-board reprint
- Tensas
Tensas 58.9%
58.9 % low-access
- Beauregard
Beauregard 55.8%
55.8 % low-access
- Plaquemines
Plaquemines 54.9%
54.9 % low-access
- Vernon
Vernon 49.3%
49.3 % low-access
- St. Charles
St. Charles 47.2%
47.2 % low-access
- Assumption 0.9
Assumption 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,252 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,092 |
| Low-Access Share | 58.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,043 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,935 |
| Median Household Income | $36,615 |
| Poverty Rate | 34.4%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 502 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 31.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.5%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.6% |
SNAP retailers in Tensas Parish
Tensas Parish has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 3 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 8 authorized stores; Newellton holds 38% of them. 3 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Newellton, St. Joseph, Waterproof.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Newellton | 3 | none |
| Saint Joseph | 3 | 1 |
| St. Joseph | 1 | none |
| Waterproof | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 18726, newellton
- dollar general 7948, saint joseph
- family dollar 12863, saint joseph
Convenience Store · 2
- britt's pharmacy, newellton
- fueltrac 1, waterproof
Farmers' Market · 1
- tensas produce market, st. joseph
Small Grocery Store · 1
- diane's market, newellton
Supermarket · 1
- mac's fresh market 8, saint joseph
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Louisiana
One of 63 counties in Louisiana, 6 are shown here.
Compare Tensas Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →
Louisiana among West South Central states
Louisiana ranks 1st of 4 West South Central states by population-weighted low-access (26.4%). Tensas Parish, at 58.9%, runs 32.5 pts above the Louisiana rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Tensas Parish, LA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 22107. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.