PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Missouri

Webster County, MO

Webster County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

8.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
9.8%
on SNAP
41K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MO

The food-access picture

8.9% of Webster County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.9%
households, no vehicle
15.2%
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).

Webster County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.9% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,210 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,166 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 Webster County compares nationally

Webster County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.9% low-access share that beats 18% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,575).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Webster County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Webster 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 Webster County, MO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (87.5%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 88% Limited 0% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Webster County, MO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Webster County vs. other Missouri counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri

% 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 Webster County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)36,202
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,210
Low-Access Share8.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,166

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Webster County
IndicatorValue
Population40,500
Median Household Income$71,155
Poverty Rate15.2%near the national average
SNAP Households1,367
SNAP Participation Rate9.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.7%
SNAP participation in Webster County 9.8%

About 9.8% of Webster County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,367 households here.
  • 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Webster County

near the national share

1 of Webster County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

An estimated 3,210 residents, roughly 8.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,166 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (87.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Webster County

Webster County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 16

  • bills quick mart inc, rogersville
  • c & r discount grocery, niangua
  • casey's 1408, marshfield
  • casey's 2838, seymour
  • casey's general store 3222, marshfield
  • country express, marshfield
  • foodmart, seymour
  • hannahs 1, niangua
  • hannahs general store #2, elkland
  • marshfield eagle stop 40, marshfield
  • maverik 5184, rogersville
  • maverik 5380, rogersville
  • rapid roberts 119, marshfield
  • signal food store 120, seymour
  • spur eagle stop 39, marshfield
  • zia express llc, marshfield

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 15615, fordland
  • dollar general 2147, marshfield
  • dollar general 21631, rogersville
  • dollar general 25603, marshfield
  • dollar general 30413, elkland
  • dollar general 31036, niangua
  • dollar general 3374, rogersville
  • dollar general 7762, seymour
  • dollar tree 5768, marshfield
  • family dollar 2123, seymour
  • walgreens 11502, marshfield

Supermarket · 3

  • apple market 2730, rogersville
  • price cutter 7, seymour
  • price cutter 86, marshfield

Farmers' Market · 2

  • marshfield farmers market, marshfield
  • seymour missouri farmers market, seymour

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • seymour discount grocery, seymour

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • gibson packing, seymour

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • penny pincher discount grocer, marshfield

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • zimmerman meats 2, marshfield

Super Store · 1

  • walmart sc 78, marshfield

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Missouri

Adair County
27.3% low-access · 9.0% SNAP
Andrew County
15.8% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Atchison County
5.1% low-access · 5.8% SNAP
Audrain County
22.6% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Barry County
19.7% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Barton County
56.5% low-access · 18.5% SNAP

Compare Webster County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →

Food access nationally, Missouri in context

Webster County sits inside Missouri (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Webster County has low food access? ▼
8.9% of residents in Webster County, MO 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 Webster County? ▼
9.8% of households in Webster County receive SNAP, covering 1,367 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Webster County? ▼
The poverty rate in Webster County, MO is 15.2%, with a median household income of $71,155 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Webster County a food desert? ▼
1 of Webster County's 8 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 Webster County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.9% of households in Webster 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.