PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

Webster Parish, LA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Webster Parish residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

28.5%
low-access pop.
8
food-desert tracts
27.0%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

28.5% of Webster Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
8K
food-desert residents
10.3%
households, no vehicle
23.1%
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).

USDA data puts Webster Parish's low-access share at 28.5%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,729 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,678 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 Parish compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Webster Parish's 28.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,050 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Webster Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Webster Parish, 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 Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 8 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (27.3%) 8 tracts severe / food desert (72.7%) Adequate 27% Limited 0% Severe 73% Food-access tier distribution: Webster Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Webster Parish vs. other Louisiana counties

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

% 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 Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,207
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)8
Low-Access Population11,729
Low-Access Share28.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,678

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Webster Parish
IndicatorValue
Population35,820
Median Household Income$41,182
Poverty Rate23.1%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,870
SNAP Participation Rate27.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.3%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.9%
SNAP participation in Webster Parish 27.0%

About 27.0% of Webster Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 28.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 27.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,870 households here.
  • 10.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 8 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 Webster Parish

above the national share

8 of Webster Parish's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 72.7% of all its tracts.

An estimated 11,729 residents, roughly 28.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 7,678 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (27.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Webster Parish

Webster Parish has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • abraham food mart, minden
  • arkanas, springhill
  • buzz buy, minden
  • caney lake store, minden
  • circle k 2707779, minden
  • deli stop #1, sibley
  • dixie mart 17281, springhill
  • dixie mart 17290, minden
  • dixie mart 17291, minden
  • dixie mart 17292, minden
  • dixie mart 17293, minden
  • dixie mart 17294, minden
  • doyline country store inc, doyline
  • e-z mart 4232, sarepta
  • handy stop, sibley
  • hozams quick stop, minden
  • ice box of minden, minden
  • love's travel stop 289, minden
  • murphy usa 7402, springhill
  • murphy usa 7750, minden
  • outpost travel center llc minden, minden
  • quick draw travel plaza, minden
  • super s cotton valley, cotton valley
  • ta express minden, minden
  • taylors, springhill

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • bayou naturals, minden
  • cvs/pharmacy 5345, minden
  • dollar general 0671, springhill
  • dollar general 2615, minden
  • dollar tree 2547, minden
  • dollar general 11832, sibley
  • dollar general 12767, sarepta
  • dollar general 13731, doyline
  • dollar general 22870, heflin
  • dollar tree 5517, springhill
  • family dollar 11654, cotton valley
  • family dollar 13917, doyline
  • family dollar 1587, minden
  • family dollar 4557, sibley
  • family dollar 5014, minden
  • family dollar 5353, dixie inn
  • family dollar 8618, minden
  • walgreens 15402, minden

Supermarket · 4

  • brookshire fd store 21, minden
  • brookshire food store 026, springhill
  • southern market 381, minden
  • southern market 385, springhill

Super Store · 2

  • walmart 1169, springhill
  • walmart supercenter 87, minden

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • rascoe grocery, minden

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Louisiana

Acadia Parish
6.6% low-access · 24.4% SNAP
Allen Parish
28.1% low-access · 26.5% SNAP
Ascension Parish
42.3% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Assumption Parish
0.9% low-access · 19.9% SNAP
Avoyelles Parish
20.5% low-access · 27.9% SNAP
Beauregard Parish
55.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Webster Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

Webster Parish sits inside Louisiana (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 Parish has low food access? ▼
28.5% of residents in Webster Parish, LA 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 Parish? ▼
27.0% of households in Webster Parish receive SNAP, covering 3,870 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Webster Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in Webster Parish, LA is 23.1%, with a median household income of $41,182 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Webster Parish a food desert? ▼
8 of Webster Parish's 11 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 Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.3% of households in Webster Parish 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.