State food-access profile · 115 counties

Food access in Missouri

How far Missouri residents live from a supermarket, where the food deserts are, and the SNAP, poverty, and vehicle-access context, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

24.9%
low-access pop.: 248
food-desert tracts: 9.7%
on SNAP: 115
counties

The statewide picture

About 1.5M Missouri residents - 24.9% - live in a low-access area, and 248 census tracts across the state are USDA-designated food deserts.

1.5M
low-access residents: 433K
food-desert residents: 6.5%
households, no vehicle: 12.6%
below poverty line

Shares are population-weighted across the state's tracts, not an average of county percentages. Low access = >1 mile (urban) / >10 miles (rural) from a supermarket.

Where Missouri stands nationally

Every state colored by its population-weighted low-access share, Missouri is ringed. Click any state to compare.

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

The USDA Food Access Research Atlas evaluates every census tract in Missouri against the same rule used nationwide: a tract is low-access when many residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. Across 115 counties and 6.2M residents, Missouri's population-weighted low-access share is 24.9%.

A tract becomes a food desert only when its low-access residents are also low-income. That applies to 248 tracts in Missouri, home to roughly 433K low-income, low-access residents. SNAP participation across the state averages 9.7% of households, and 6.5% of households have no vehicle, the transport gap that turns distance into a real barrier. The county table below is sorted with the highest low-access share first, so the top rows are where distance, income, and vehicle gaps most consistently overlap.

115

Counties

24.9%

Low-access (pop-weighted)

1.5M

Low-access residents

9.7%

Avg. SNAP

Mercer

99.8
Schuyler

82.2
Pulaski

63.3
Barton

56.5
Nodaway

54.3
Carter

51
Reynolds

45.5
Laclede

43.7

All counties in Missouri

County	Population	Low-access	SNAP	No vehicle	Poverty
Mercer County	3K	99.8%	10.7%	5.6%	13.5%
Schuyler County	4K	82.2%	7.7%	5.9%	8.6%
Pulaski County	54K	63.3%	8.4%	3.2%	12.7%
Barton County	12K	56.5%	18.5%	8.8%	20.2%
Nodaway County	21K	54.3%	8.3%	6.6%	17.1%
Carter County	5K	51.0%	19.8%	13.2%	20.8%
Reynolds County	6K	45.5%	16.2%	7.4%	17.3%
Laclede County	36K	43.7%	15.3%	6.7%	18.2%
Taney County	57K	41.4%	11.4%	4.4%	15.6%
Lewis County	10K	40.1%	6.0%	4.1%	12.7%
St. Charles County	415K	39.2%	3.6%	3.8%	5.2%
Shelby County	6K	38.5%	8.4%	4.8%	15.9%
Douglas County	12K	37.6%	14.4%	4.7%	17.5%
Platte County	110K	37.6%	4.2%	4.0%	7.0%
Henry County	22K	36.9%	10.8%	4.9%	14.3%
Ozark County	9K	36.9%	14.7%	6.6%	21.5%
Wayne County	11K	34.7%	18.3%	5.5%	25.7%
Boone County	188K	34.4%	6.6%	5.9%	16.6%
Holt County	4K	34.3%	6.8%	3.2%	10.2%
Saline County	23K	34.0%	13.2%	6.3%	16.4%
Harrison County	8K	33.6%	13.7%	6.5%	19.6%
Grundy County	10K	33.4%	11.7%	11.3%	17.6%
Johnson County	55K	33.4%	6.4%	4.7%	11.8%
Vernon County	20K	32.9%	14.9%	11.4%	18.8%
Buchanan County	84K	32.6%	14.5%	8.5%	16.0%
Cass County	111K	32.6%	5.3%	3.9%	6.2%
Ste. Genevieve County	19K	32.0%	6.5%	4.3%	8.2%
Cooper County	17K	31.3%	6.7%	4.6%	11.7%
Cole County	77K	31.2%	5.9%	5.5%	9.0%
Clay County	258K	31.1%	6.0%	4.7%	8.5%
Jefferson County	229K	31.0%	7.1%	3.7%	9.0%
Cape Girardeau County	83K	30.8%	9.8%	5.9%	13.9%
Macon County	15K	29.1%	8.6%	5.8%	9.5%
Bollinger County	11K	28.4%	9.2%	3.6%	13.6%
Adair County	25K	27.3%	9.0%	7.3%	22.0%
Sullivan County	6K	27.2%	10.0%	6.3%	13.7%
St. Louis County	996K	26.8%	8.0%	6.6%	9.8%
Putnam County	5K	26.7%	7.5%	5.8%	15.5%
Jackson County	720K	26.2%	10.3%	8.1%	14.1%
Jasper County	124K	26.1%	14.8%	7.0%	17.0%
Dallas County	18K	26.0%	16.8%	4.1%	20.5%
Carroll County	8K	25.9%	9.0%	3.4%	13.7%
Pike County	18K	24.7%	10.4%	7.4%	16.0%
Iron County	9K	23.6%	18.3%	6.8%	19.3%
Greene County	303K	23.5%	10.0%	6.4%	13.6%
Audrain County	25K	22.6%	12.3%	7.4%	17.8%
Gentry County	6K	21.9%	8.8%	5.4%	17.9%
Christian County	93K	21.5%	6.4%	3.0%	8.2%
Cedar County	15K	21.2%	12.2%	6.6%	17.0%
Linn County	12K	20.9%	8.8%	7.0%	13.7%
DeKalb County	11K	20.6%	7.8%	4.1%	8.7%
St. Francois County	67K	20.6%	15.6%	6.6%	15.9%
Camden County	44K	20.5%	8.2%	2.8%	12.6%
Madison County	13K	20.5%	13.4%	8.2%	13.2%
Howell County	40K	20.4%	14.0%	6.1%	20.3%
Barry County	35K	19.7%	11.0%	4.4%	15.2%
Callaway County	45K	19.6%	8.7%	5.7%	11.6%
Lafayette County	33K	19.5%	9.4%	3.3%	9.3%
Knox County	4K	19.3%	8.2%	1.7%	11.9%
Phelps County	45K	19.0%	13.1%	6.1%	16.8%
Butler County	42K	18.9%	20.3%	8.3%	20.5%
Dent County	15K	18.9%	17.0%	6.1%	12.2%
Caldwell County	9K	18.7%	8.4%	5.0%	10.3%
Bates County	16K	18.6%	11.2%	7.5%	15.9%
Lawrence County	39K	18.6%	12.2%	6.3%	14.5%
Scott County	38K	18.3%	14.9%	4.8%	12.8%
Wright County	19K	18.0%	13.6%	7.0%	18.7%
Montgomery County	11K	17.7%	11.1%	3.5%	13.9%
Newton County	60K	16.5%	12.3%	3.9%	13.5%
Oregon County	9K	16.5%	19.9%	5.7%	23.6%
Pettis County	43K	16.1%	11.4%	7.3%	15.6%
Marion County	28K	16.0%	12.1%	7.7%	14.2%
Andrew County	18K	15.8%	4.9%	2.2%	6.2%
Randolph County	24K	15.8%	15.0%	6.4%	13.9%
Howard County	10K	15.3%	7.8%	3.8%	12.0%
Perry County	19K	15.2%	10.2%	5.2%	13.9%
Daviess County	8K	15.1%	8.2%	9.4%	11.4%
Stone County	32K	14.6%	6.6%	3.9%	13.9%
Monroe County	9K	14.1%	7.6%	7.0%	14.2%
Worth County	2K	14.0%	11.0%	7.0%	20.6%
Clark County	7K	12.7%	7.8%	4.9%	11.2%
Texas County	25K	12.6%	13.5%	8.2%	19.8%
Warren County	37K	12.6%	6.9%	3.1%	8.0%
Washington County	23K	12.1%	20.1%	10.0%	17.4%
Clinton County	21K	11.7%	7.8%	4.4%	12.3%
Dunklin County	27K	11.3%	24.6%	8.5%	22.0%
Osage County	13K	11.1%	4.2%	5.6%	8.6%
Moniteau County	15K	11.0%	7.6%	6.6%	10.3%
Franklin County	106K	10.6%	7.1%	3.8%	8.2%
Pemiscot County	15K	10.4%	30.7%	10.5%	29.6%
Livingston County	14K	10.2%	9.9%	5.9%	11.9%
Shannon County	7K	10.1%	13.5%	5.2%	18.0%
St. Clair County	10K	9.8%	13.5%	5.6%	14.7%
Scotland County	5K	9.6%	4.2%	3.5%	7.3%
Benton County	20K	9.4%	12.5%	4.2%	19.9%
Chariton County	7K	9.0%	7.0%	4.4%	8.8%
Dade County	8K	9.0%	14.8%	6.3%	12.6%
Lincoln County	63K	9.0%	7.0%	4.5%	10.2%
Gasconade County	15K	8.9%	10.3%	5.7%	12.6%
Webster County	41K	8.9%	9.8%	6.9%	15.2%
Ripley County	11K	8.5%	17.3%	7.4%	24.8%
Miller County	25K	8.0%	8.9%	5.5%	14.4%
Ralls County	10K	7.5%	4.8%	3.3%	11.4%
Crawford County	23K	7.3%	12.1%	4.7%	14.1%
Stoddard County	28K	7.0%	15.2%	3.6%	15.1%
Ray County	23K	6.8%	10.5%	4.9%	12.6%
St. Louis city	289K	6.0%	18.6%	18.5%	20.6%
Maries County	8K	5.5%	11.2%	4.8%	13.5%
Atchison County	5K	5.1%	5.8%	3.1%	11.6%
New Madrid County	16K	4.7%	23.5%	7.2%	17.7%
Hickory County	9K	4.4%	11.9%	5.4%	19.8%
McDonald County	24K	3.8%	13.6%	5.8%	16.8%
Polk County	32K	3.7%	10.8%	4.3%	16.3%
Morgan County	22K	3.2%	12.2%	10.4%	18.3%
Mississippi County	12K	3.0%	27.3%	14.4%	19.0%

Source: USDA ERS Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2024 5-year). Sorted by low-access share, highest first. USDA ERS Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2024 5-year). Sorted by low-access share, highest first.

What this means for the state

24.9% of Missouri residents, about 1.5M people, live in a low-access area.
248 census tracts are USDA food deserts, home to roughly 433K low-income, low-access residents.
9.7% of households receive SNAP, and 6.5% have no vehicle.
Mercer County has the state's highest low-access share at 99.8%.

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); SNAP, poverty, and vehicle context is the Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Missouri has low food access?▼

24.9% of Missouri residents live in low-access areas (population-weighted across the state's tracts), per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).

How many food deserts are in Missouri?▼

248 census tracts in Missouri are USDA-designated food deserts, both low-access and low-income, home to roughly 433K low-income residents.

What is the SNAP participation rate in Missouri?▼

Across Missouri counties, an average of 9.7% of households receive SNAP (Census ACS 2024), though rates vary between urban and rural areas.

Which county in Missouri has the worst food access?▼

Mercer County has the highest low-access share in Missouri at 99.8%, with 10.7% SNAP participation.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service Food Access Research Atlas (2019 edition), 9,228 of roughly 71,700 U.S. census tracts meet the low-income, low-access food-desert threshold. The state and county figures on this page are aggregated from that tract-level data and joined to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates, released in December 2025. See our methodology for how the population-weighted shares are computed.

Data current as of 2026-06-23 (most recent source-data vintage).

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