Signature · 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts)
Van Buren County, AR
Van Buren County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (40% of the book) alongside 10.4% low-access.
- 10.4%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.7%
- on SNAP
- 16K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Van Buren County, AR
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 10.4% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -11.7 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 10.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 40% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Marion County ( -0.4 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Van Buren County lands in the lower national band (10.4%, #2,461 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,461
- national by low-access %
- #69
- in AR
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (40% of tracts) .
How Van Buren County compares nationally
Van Buren County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.4% low-access share that beats 21% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,461).
Van Buren County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
All 5 of Van Buren County'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.
Van Buren County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Fulton 13.9
Fulton 13.9%
13.9 % low-access
- Sebastian 13.2
Sebastian 13.2%
13.2 % low-access
- Independence 12.1
Independence 12.1%
12.1 % low-access
- Van Buren 10.4
Van Buren 10.4%
10.4 % low-access
- Marion 10
Marion 10%
10 % low-access
- Izard 0.9
Izard 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,295 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,799 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.4%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,164 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,998 |
| Median Household Income | $50,354 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 795 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Van Buren County
Van Buren County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 10 authorized stores; Clinton holds 70% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Bee Branch, Fairfield Bay.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton | 7 | 2 |
| Bee Branch | 1 | none |
| Fairfield Bay | 1 | none |
| Shirley | 1 | 1 |
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 8025, fairfield bay
- dollartree 9740, clinton
- dollar general 15678, bee branch
- dollar general 3979, clinton
Convenience Store · 3
- casey's general store 3628, clinton
- murphy usa 6678, clinton
- raj gasoline and deli, clinton
Super Store · 3
- clinton cash saver, clinton
- harps food store 520, shirley
- walmart supercenter 788, clinton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Arkansas
One of 74 counties in Arkansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Van Buren County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Counties near Van Buren County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Van Buren County, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AR (10.4% here).
- Stephens County, GA · 10.4% low-access
- Montgomery County, IN · 10.4% low-access
- Pemiscot County, MO · 10.4% low-access
- San Mateo County, CA · 10.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AR (10.7% here).
- Pasco County, FL · 10.7% SNAP
- Ogle County, IL · 10.7% SNAP
- Greene County, IN · 10.7% SNAP
- Itasca County, MN · 10.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Arkansas among West South Central states
Arkansas ranks 4th of 4 West South Central states by population-weighted low-access (24.9%). Van Buren County, at 10.4%, runs 14.5 pts below the Arkansas 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 Van Buren County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05141. 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.