PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Boone County, IL

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Boone 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).

31.5%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.3%
on SNAP
53K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

31.5% of Boone County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
9.9%
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 Boone County's low-access share at 31.5%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 17,067 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,032 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 Boone County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Boone County's 31.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #847 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Boone County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Boone 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 Boone County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (42.9%) 2 tracts limited (28.6%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 43% Limited 29% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Boone County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Boone 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 Boone County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)54,165
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population17,067
Low-Access Share31.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,032

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Boone County
IndicatorValue
Population53,230
Median Household Income$84,571
Poverty Rate9.9%below the national average
SNAP Households2,781
SNAP Participation Rate14.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.6%
SNAP participation in Boone County 14.3%

About 14.3% of Boone County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 31.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,781 households here.
  • 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Boone County

above the national share

2 of Boone County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 17,067 residents, roughly 31.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,032 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Boone County

Boone County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (61% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 7-eleven 33896, belvidere
  • 7-eleven 34712a, belvidere
  • 7-eleven 34713a, belvidere
  • ahsb gas llc, belvidere
  • belvidere tobacco & liquor, belvidere
  • casey's general store 3468, capron
  • casey's general store 3598, belvidere
  • express lane gas & food mart 35, belvidere
  • j & d countryside marathon, poplar grove
  • jum group llc, belvidere
  • jum group llc 171, belvidere
  • lbs mobil express mart company, belvidere
  • logan avenue mobil 60, belvidere
  • murphy usa 7846, belvidere
  • om belvidere oil llc, belvidere
  • ricky petroleum inc dba citgo, belvidere
  • speedway 3995, belvidere
  • state st mobil 82, belvidere
  • wheeler road mobil 49, cherry valley

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dollar general 1591, belvidere
  • dollar general 15682, poplar grove
  • dollar general 21904, capron
  • dollar tree 3937, belvidere
  • family dollar 10183, belvidere
  • walgreens 04150, belvidere

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la canasta supermarket inc, belvidere
  • supermercado guanajuatito, belvidere

Super Store · 2

  • belvidere fiesta market, belvidere
  • walmart 3597, belvidere

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 40067 40067, belvidere
  • pacemaker countryside market, poplar grove

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% 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 Boone County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Boone 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 Boone County has low food access? ▼
31.5% of residents in Boone 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 Boone County? ▼
14.3% of households in Boone County receive SNAP, covering 2,781 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Boone County? ▼
The poverty rate in Boone County, IL is 9.9%, with a median household income of $84,571 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Boone County a food desert? ▼
2 of Boone County's 7 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 Boone County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% of households in Boone 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.