PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

West Baton Rouge Parish, LA

West Baton Rouge Parish'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.

18.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
12.4%
on SNAP
28K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

18.9% of West Baton Rouge Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.4%
households, no vehicle
12.9%
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).

West Baton Rouge Parish's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.9% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,491 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,733 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 West Baton Rouge Parish compares nationally

West Baton Rouge Parish lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.9% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,783).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

West Baton Rouge Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 5 census tracts in West Baton Rouge 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 West Baton Rouge Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (60.0%) 1 tracts limited (20.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 20% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: West Baton Rouge Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

West Baton Rouge 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 West Baton Rouge Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)23,788
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population4,491
Low-Access Share18.9%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,733

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for West Baton Rouge Parish
IndicatorValue
Population27,974
Median Household Income$87,299
Poverty Rate12.9%near the national average
SNAP Households1,360
SNAP Participation Rate12.4%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.6%
SNAP participation in West Baton Rouge Parish 12.4%

About 12.4% of West Baton Rouge Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 18.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,360 households here.
  • 5.4% 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 West Baton Rouge Parish

near the national share

1 of West Baton Rouge Parish's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 4,491 residents, roughly 18.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,733 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in West Baton Rouge Parish

West Baton Rouge Parish has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • chevron food mart, port allen
  • circle k 2708805, port allen
  • circle k 2709733, port allen
  • ez in-out, port allen
  • k&m, port allen
  • kent kwik 991, port allen
  • la express #9 9, port allen
  • la express 7 7, port allen
  • love's travel stop 240, port allen
  • pilot travel center 1439, port allen
  • port allen chevron 500, port allen
  • port allen seafood, port allen
  • race trac 454, port allen
  • racetrac petroleum, inc. 2487, addis
  • silver's travel plaza & casino - port allen, port allen

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • courville seafood 1, port allen
  • dollar general 10933, erwinville
  • dollar general 13891, addis
  • dollar general 6269, port allen
  • dollar general 9506, port allen
  • dollar tree 3889, port allen
  • family dollar 1379, port allen
  • family dollar 5580, brusly
  • walgreens 15366, port allen

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • country market of port allen, port allen
  • t-mels seafood, addis

Super Store · 2

  • benedettos market, addis
  • walmart 1136, port allen

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • benoits country meat block, addis

Supermarket · 1

  • hubbens supermarket, port allen

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 West Baton Rouge Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

West Baton Rouge 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 West Baton Rouge Parish has low food access? ▼
18.9% of residents in West Baton Rouge 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 West Baton Rouge Parish? ▼
12.4% of households in West Baton Rouge Parish receive SNAP, covering 1,360 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in West Baton Rouge Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in West Baton Rouge Parish, LA is 12.9%, with a median household income of $87,299 (Census ACS 2024).
Is West Baton Rouge Parish a food desert? ▼
1 of West Baton Rouge Parish'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 West Baton Rouge Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.4% of households in West Baton Rouge 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.