County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Tillman County, OK

Tillman 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.

40.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
19.4%
on SNAP
7K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

40.7% of Tillman County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
9.6%
households, no vehicle
21.0%
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).

Tillman County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 40.7% is well above the national share. 3 of the county's 5 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 3,249 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,414 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 Tillman County compares nationally

Tillman County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.7% low-access share outpaces 88% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #375 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Tillman County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 census tracts in Tillman 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 Tillman County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (40.0%) 1 tracts limited (20.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (40.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 20% Severe 40% Food-access tier distribution: Tillman County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Tillman 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 Tillman County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)7,992
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population3,249
Low-Access Share40.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,414

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Tillman County
IndicatorValue
Population6,910
Median Household Income$48,939
Poverty Rate21.0%above the national average
SNAP Households517
SNAP Participation Rate19.4%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.6%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.0%
SNAP participation in Tillman County 19.4%

About 19.4% of Tillman County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 40.7% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 517 households here.
  • 9.6% 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 Tillman County

well above the national share

2 of Tillman County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 3,249 residents, roughly 40.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,414 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Tillman County

Tillman County has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 6

  • allsups 281, frederick
  • dad's convenience store llc, frederick
  • hop and sack #11, tipton
  • hop and sack #21, davidson
  • hop and sack #5, frederick
  • the general store, grandfield

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 3837, frederick
  • dollar general 19961, grandfield
  • dollar general 25890, tipton
  • dollar general 31412, frederick
  • family dollar store 1495, frederick

Supermarket · 1

  • united supermarkets 359, frederick

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

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

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Tillman County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Tillman County has low food access?
40.7% of residents in Tillman 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 Tillman County?
19.4% of households in Tillman County receive SNAP, covering 517 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Tillman County?
The poverty rate in Tillman County, OK is 21.0%, with a median household income of $48,939 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Tillman County a food desert?
2 of Tillman 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 Tillman County households lack a vehicle?
9.6% of households in Tillman 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.