County food-access profile · Iowa
Black Hawk County, IA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Black Hawk County 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).
- 27.5%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 11.1%
- on SNAP
- 131K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
27.5% of Black Hawk County residents live in a low-access area, and 10 of its 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 12K
- food-desert residents
- 6.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.9%
- 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).
USDA data puts Black Hawk County's low-access share at 27.5%, above the national share. 19 of the county's 38 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 36,084 people. 10 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 12,410 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 Black Hawk County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Black Hawk County's 27.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,117 most-affected nationwide.
Black Hawk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 38 census tracts in Black Hawk County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Black Hawk County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Black Hawk
Black Hawk County, IA
27.5 % low-access
- Adair 8
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee 10.9
Allamakee County, IA
10.9 % low-access
- Appanoose
Appanoose County, IA
15.7 % low-access
- Audubon 7.4
Audubon County, IA
7.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 38 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 131,090 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 36,084 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 12,410 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 131,049 |
| Median Household Income | $66,417 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,077 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.7% |
About 11.1% of Black Hawk County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 27.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,077 households here.
- 6.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 10 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 Black Hawk County
above the national share
10 of Black Hawk County's 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 26.3% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.
An estimated 36,084 residents, roughly 27.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 12,410 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 19 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Black Hawk County
Black Hawk County has 138 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 66 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 66
- arsallan, inc., waterloo
- bp fuel, waterloo
- casey's 4279, cedar falls
- casey's 4553, cedar falls
- casey's 2864, evansdale
- casey's 2865, cedar falls
- casey's 2866, waterloo
- casey's 2867, waterloo
- casey's 2880, waterloo
- casey's 2900, gilbertville
- casey's 3880, waterloo
- casey's general store 1887, cedar falls
- casey's general store 2427, waterloo
- casey's general store 2630, cedar falls
- casey's general store 3041, elk run heights
- casey's general store 3045, cedar falls
- casey's general store 3080, hudson
- casey's general store 3610, cedar falls
- caseys general store 066, la porte city
- caseys general store 2879, waterloo
- clark of waterloo, waterloo
- corks, waterloo
- endi bakery and grocery llc, waterloo
- evansdale market place, evansdale
- git-n-go 22, hudson
- hansen's dairy cedar falls, cedar falls
- hy-vee c-store 5869, waterloo
- hy-vee gas 5863, waterloo
- independence liquor & food, evansdale
- king star 1, cedar falls
- kwik star 1004, waterloo
- kwik star 229, waterloo
- kwik star 278, evansdale
- kwik star 380, waterloo
- kwik star 490, cedar falls
- kwik star 569, waterloo
- kwik star 702, dunkerton
- kwik star 715, waterloo
- kwik star 723, waterloo
- kwik star 724, waterloo
- kwik star 726, cedar falls
- kwik star 732, waterloo
- kwik star 934, cedar falls
- kwik stop 3, waterloo
- kwik stop 4, waterloo
- linn mart, waterloo
- lolo food market llc, waterloo
- love's travel shop 702, waterloo
- metro mart 1, waterloo
- metro mart 3, cedar falls
- metro mart 4, waterloo
- neighborhood mart, waterloo
- pilot travel center 637, evansdale
- prime mart, cedar falls
- prime mart 1, waterloo
- pronto bp, washburn
- ravion inc dba prime mart 7, waterloo
- rays supermarket inc, waterloo
- road ranger 144, elk run heights
- station mart 1, evansdale
- sycamore convenience, waterloo
- the spot #3, waterloo
- thunder ridge ampride, cedar falls
- waterloo #3 1863, waterloo
- xo food & liquor, waterloo
- yesway 10022, waterloo
Combination Grocery/Other · 31
- cvs pharmacy 8538, cedar falls
- cvs pharmcy 8544, waterloo
- dollar general 14412, cedar falls
- dollartree 10708, waterloo
- dollartree 6463, cedar falls
- dollar general 10073, waterloo
- dollar general 1458, evansdale
- dollar general 20584, waterloo
- dollar general 21239, cedar falls
- dollar general 25972, dunkerton
- dollar general 30944, raymond
- dollar general 30998, waterloo
- dollar general 4698, waterloo
- dollar general 7136, waterloo
- dollar general 7162, waterloo
- dollar general store 16973, la porte city
- dollar tree 1397, waterloo
- dollar tree 2259, cedar falls
- dollar tree 6008, waterloo
- dollar tree 6655, waterloo
- dollar tree 7808, evansdale
- family dollar 12879, waterloo
- family dollar 12906, evansdale
- family dollar 5600, waterloo
- family dollar store 10944, waterloo
- hansen's dairy, waterloo
- red-light market, waterloo
- walgreens 10557, cedar falls
- walgreens 10855, waterloo
- walgreens 3590, waterloo
- walgreens 7455, waterloo
Super Store · 15
- cf hv fast & fresh 1052, cedar falls
- dollar general 21528, waterloo
- fareway stores, inc. 190, cedar falls
- fareway stores, inc. 67, evansdale
- fareway stores, inc. 951, waterloo
- fareway stores, inc. 974, cedar falls
- hy-vee food store 1052, cedar falls
- hy-vee food store 1860, waterloo
- hy-vee food store 1863, waterloo
- hy-vee food and drugstore 1866, waterloo
- sam's club 6514, waterloo
- target stores t- 1792, waterloo
- target stores t- 2526, cedar falls
- walmart 753, cedar falls
- walmart sc 1496, waterloo
Small Grocery Store · 7
- ajla's bakery and grocery, llc, waterloo
- balkan grocery, waterloo
- euro fresh, waterloo
- ledo, waterloo
- m&j caribbean market #928, waterloo
- masala market, cedar falls
- new asian market, waterloo
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- el mercadito tienda mexicana mexican store 2, waterloo
- glory african market, llc, waterloo
- michuacana meat market, waterloo
- thriftway, la porte city
- us 5 store, waterloo
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 72033, waterloo
- aldi 72064, cedar falls
- glenmen 2 llc, hudson
- kfd grocery inc, waterloo
- vitamin cottage natural food market u132, cedar falls
Farmers' Market · 3
- cedar falls farmers market, cedar falls
- college hill farmers market nafmnp, cedar falls
- waterloo urban farmers market, waterloo
Large Grocery Store · 3
- hornbill asian market 1, waterloo
- la placita, waterloo
- shwe nyiko market & asian foods, waterloo
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's pizza ia003, cedar falls
- papa murphy's pizza ia015, waterloo
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- gilbertville locker, gilbertville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Compare Black Hawk County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Black Hawk County sits inside Iowa (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Black Hawk County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Black Hawk County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Black Hawk County? ▼
Is Black Hawk County a food desert? ▼
What share of Black Hawk County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.