Where does Missouri rank for food access among U.S. states?

According to USDA FARA (2019), Missouri ranks #25 of 50 by population-weighted low-access share.

What share of Missouri has low food access?

24.9% of Missouri residents live in low-access areas (population-weighted) (+2.8 pts vs U.S.), per USDA FARA 2019.

How many food deserts are in Missouri?

248 census tracts in Missouri are USDA food deserts (~433K low-income low-access residents); ~2.16 tracts per county.

What is the SNAP participation rate in Missouri?

Across Missouri, 9.7% of households receive SNAP (ACS 2024) (-2.4 pts vs U.S.) - low tercile among states.

Which county in Missouri has the worst food access?

Mercer County has the highest low-access share at 99.8% (~0.3% of statewide low-access residents), with 10.7% SNAP.

Signature · 115 counties in the atlas book

Food access in Missouri

How far Missouri residents live from a supermarket (24.9% low-access), where LILA tracts sit, and SNAP/vehicle context from USDA FARA 2019 + Census ACS 2024.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · December 31, 2024

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

USDA FARA state access plate

State MO · Missouri

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · BOOK-MEGA

LA-ELEVATED 24.9% low-access
ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.8 pts vs US
LILA-CLUSTER 248 food-desert tracts
SNAP-LIGHT 9.7% SNAP
VEH-OK 6.5% no vehicle
BOOK-MEGA 115 counties

Nearest low-access peer: Arkansas (+ 0.0 pts)

Missouri's thick county book (115)

Missouri covers 115 counties among 51 states and DC (atlas inventory, not a food-access quality ranking). Orthogonal to the low-access / SNAP charts below.

Missouri vs all states by county count

Where this state's county inventory sits among every tracked jurisdiction

115 5th of 51 higher than 46 of 51 states

Jurisdictions, banded by county inventory

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USDA Food Access Research Atlas / Census county inventory · 2026-06-23

Mid-band statewide picture

About 1.5M Missouri residents (24.9%) live low-access - #25 of 50, with 248 USDA food-desert tracts.

#25
among states by low-access: 1.5M
low-access residents: 433K
food-desert residents: 6.5%
households, no vehicle

Population-weighted tract shares. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural from a supermarket.

Where Missouri sits on low-access

Missouri ringed at #25 of 50 by population-weighted low-access. Click any state to compare.

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

Signature read: 115 counties in the atlas book .

Missouri is in the middle third nationally on low-access (24.9% , #25 of 50). SNAP averages 9.7% of households (lower SNAP band) and 6.5% have no vehicle , with 248 LILA tracts. County pressure peaks in Mercer County at 99.8%.

Nationwide peers for Missouri's low-access or SNAP share

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Missouri. Neighbourhood chart below is local poles; these panels are full-corpus nearest neighbours excluding this state.

Similar low-access share

Nearest population-weighted low-access rates (24.9% here).

Arkansas · 24.9% low-access
Texas · 25.0% low-access
Florida · 25.1% low-access
Ohio · 25.1% low-access

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates (9.7% here), deduped against the low-access panel.

New Jersey · 9.1% SNAP
Indiana · 9.0% SNAP
Arizona · 10.4% SNAP
Virginia · 8.9% SNAP

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Floor county_count ≥ 5.

NM

31.7
FL

25.1
OH

25.1
TX

25
MO

24.9
AR

24.9
DC

4.6

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.

Figures from USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and Census ACS 2024 5-year. Compiled 2026-06-23. Methodology · All states.

PlainFoodAccess renders this state summary 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. Statewide figures for Missouri are population-weighted aggregates of county Atlas and ACS records. 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.