Signature · 4 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts)
Vernon County, MO
Vernon County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (66.7% of the book) alongside 32.9% low-access.
- 32.9%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 14.9%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Vernon County, MO
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 32.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +10.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.9% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 11.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 67% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Buchanan County ( -0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Vernon County sits in the upper national band (32.9%, #747 of 3,079) with 4 LILA tracts.
- #747
- national by low-access %
- #24
- in MO
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 4 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts) .
How Vernon County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Vernon County's 32.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 76% of them and ranked #747 most-affected nationwide.
Vernon County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
Vernon County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Vernon County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Missouri, not a full county-board reprint
- Mercer
Mercer 99.8%
99.8 % low-access
- Grundy 33.4
Grundy 33.4%
33.4 % low-access
- Johnson 33.4
Johnson 33.4%
33.4 % low-access
- Vernon 32.9
Vernon 32.9%
32.9 % low-access
- Buchanan 32.6
Buchanan 32.6%
32.6 % low-access
- Cass 32.6
Cass 32.6%
32.6 % low-access
- Mississippi 3
Mississippi 3%
3 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,159 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,957 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,418 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,687 |
| Median Household Income | $52,230 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,159 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 11.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.2% |
SNAP retailers in Vernon County
Vernon County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 16 authorized stores; Nevada holds 88% of them. 2 of the 3 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Deerfield, Sheldon.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 14 | 2 |
| Deerfield | 1 | none |
| Sheldon | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- casey's 3328, nevada
- casey's 3343, nevada
- cash & dash, nevada
- cash n dash, nevada
- deerfield conoco, deerfield
- hop in, nevada
- murphy usa 6910, nevada
- petes 35, nevada
- pilot travel center 167, nevada
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 20949, sheldon
- dollar general 2815, nevada
- dollar general 8332, nevada
- dollar tree 7140, nevada
Super Store · 2
- walmart sc 34, nevada
- woods supermarket 472, nevada
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- vernon county meats, llc, nevada
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Missouri
One of 114 counties in Missouri, 6 are shown here.
Compare Vernon County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Counties near Vernon County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Vernon County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MO (32.9% here).
- Doña Ana County, NM · 32.9% low-access
- Lee County, GA · 32.9% low-access
- Sarasota County, FL · 32.9% low-access
- Bradley County, TN · 32.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MO (14.9% here).
- Nye County, NV · 14.9% SNAP
- Bourbon County, KY · 14.9% SNAP
- Atoka County, OK · 14.9% SNAP
- Washita County, OK · 14.9% 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.
Missouri among West North Central states
Missouri ranks 5th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (24.9%). Vernon County, at 32.9%, runs 8.0 pts above the Missouri rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
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 Vernon County, MO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 29217. 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.