PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Adams County, IL

Adams 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.

16.5%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
12.4%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

16.5% of Adams County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
7.5%
households, no vehicle
12.8%
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).

Adams County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.5% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 18 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 11,088 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,149 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 Adams County compares nationally

Adams County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.5% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,994).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Adams County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Adams 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 Adams County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 13 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 13 tracts adequate (72.2%) 4 tracts limited (22.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (5.6%) Adequate 72% Limited 22% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Adams County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Adams County vs. other Illinois counties

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

% 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 Adams County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)67,103
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population11,088
Low-Access Share16.5%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,149

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Adams County
IndicatorValue
Population64,754
Median Household Income$66,220
Poverty Rate12.8%near the national average
SNAP Households3,448
SNAP Participation Rate12.4%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.5%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.9%
SNAP participation in Adams County 12.4%

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

What this means

  • 16.5% 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 3,448 households here.
  • 7.5% 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 Adams County

near the national share

1 of Adams County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.6% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 11,088 residents, roughly 16.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,149 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 13 tracts (72.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Adams County

Adams County has 59 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 31

  • ayerco convenience center 1, quincy
  • ayerco convenience center 19, quincy
  • ayerco convenience center 2, liberty
  • ayerco convenience center 20, quincy
  • ayerco convenience center 33, quincy
  • casey's 2837, camp point
  • casey's general store 1183, quincy
  • casey's general store 1944, mendon
  • casey's general store 2599, quincy
  • cenex one stop 791, quincy
  • cenex one stop 793, quincy
  • cenex one stop 794, quincy
  • cenex one stop 796, mendon
  • chestnut express market llc, quincy
  • fast fresh 1533, quincy
  • golden convenient llc, golden
  • grm wilco, quincy
  • harrison express market llc, quincy
  • haymakers 792, quincy
  • hy-vee 5534, quincy
  • jiffi stop 579, quincy
  • jiffi stop 584, quincy
  • jiffi stop 586, quincy
  • loraine gem stop, loraine
  • mini mart 737, quincy
  • murphy usa 7006, quincy
  • one stop 795, quincy
  • one stop 797, liberty
  • payson convenience quick stop llc, payson
  • ursa gem stop, ursa
  • winking's grocery, quincy

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs pharmacy 8636, quincy
  • dollar general 2600, quincy
  • dollar general 9474, camp point
  • dollar tree 1036, quincy
  • dollar general 11729, quincy
  • dollar general 15882, mendon
  • dollar general 20087, payson
  • dollar general 20723, quincy
  • dollar general 30034, liberty
  • dollar general 30253, clayton
  • dollar general 9502, quincy
  • family dollar store 6158, quincy
  • family dollar store 7289, quincy
  • walgreens 15249, quincy

Super Store · 7

  • county market 244, quincy
  • hy-vee foods 1533, quincy
  • hy-vee foods 1534, quincy
  • niemanns 473, quincy
  • sam's club 4999, quincy
  • target store t2896, quincy
  • walmart 1454, quincy

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • save-a-lot 23372, quincy
  • save-a-lot 24421, quincy

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • k's family foods, inc., camp point
  • the butcher block, quincy

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys pizza il005, quincy

Farmers' Market · 1

  • quincy farmers market, quincy

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 41028 41028, quincy

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Calhoun County
14.4% low-access · 7.7% SNAP

Compare Adams County vs Alexander County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Adams County sits inside Illinois (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 Adams County has low food access? ▼
16.5% of residents in Adams County, IL 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 Adams County? ▼
12.4% of households in Adams County receive SNAP, covering 3,448 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Adams County? ▼
The poverty rate in Adams County, IL is 12.8%, with a median household income of $66,220 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Adams County a food desert? ▼
1 of Adams County's 18 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 Adams County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.5% of households in Adams 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.