County food-access profile · Kansas

Thomas County, KS

Thomas County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

67.1%
low-access pop.: 0
food-desert tracts: 3.8%
on SNAP: 8K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

The food-access picture

67.1% of Thomas County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

2
low-access tracts: 1K
food-desert residents: 3.8%
households, no vehicle: 6.5%
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).

Thomas County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 67.1% is well above the national share. 2 of the county's 2 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 5,300 people. 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 Thomas County compares nationally

Thomas County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 67.1% low-access share outpaces 97% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #106 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Thomas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 2 census tracts in Thomas County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Thomas

67.1
Allen

15.4
Anderson

18.5
Atchison

28.7
Barber

11.5
Barton

34.4

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Thomas County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	2
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	7,900
Low-Access Tracts	2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	0
Low-Access Population	5,300
Low-Access Share	67.1%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	1,395

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Thomas County
Indicator	Value
Population	7,885
Median Household Income	$71,325
Poverty Rate	6.5%well below the national average
SNAP Households	119
SNAP Participation Rate	3.8%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	3.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	5.3%

SNAP participation in Thomas County 3.8%

About 3.8% of Thomas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

67.1% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
3.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 119 households here.
3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
Median household income is $71,325 with a 6.5% 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 Thomas County

well above the national share

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 5,300 residents, roughly 67.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,395 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

SNAP retailers in Thomas County

Thomas County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 4

casey's 3894, colby
colby 24/7 travel store 2, colby
loves country store 61, colby
pilot travel center 920, colby

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

dollartree 8510, colby
dollar general 4470, colby
dollar general 4690, oakley

Super Store · 2

dillon store 050, colby
walmart sc 1214, colby

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 Thomas County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Food access nationally, Kansas in context

Thomas County sits inside Kansas (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 Thomas County has low food access? ▼

67.1% of residents in Thomas 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 Thomas County? ▼

3.8% of households in Thomas County receive SNAP, covering 119 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Thomas County? ▼

The poverty rate in Thomas County, KS is 6.5%, with a median household income of $71,325 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Thomas County a food desert? ▼

0 of Thomas County's 2 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 Thomas County households lack a vehicle? ▼

3.8% of households in Thomas 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 2026-06-23 (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.