Signature · 6.6% SNAP (23rd pct in IA)
Buchanan County, IA
Buchanan County lands in the lower national band on low-access (14.1%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 14.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 6.6%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Buchanan County, IA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 14.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -8.0 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Scott County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Buchanan County lands in the lower national band (14.1%, #2,185 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,185
- national by low-access %
- #58
- in IA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 708
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 6.6% SNAP (23rd pct in IA) (-5.5 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Buchanan County compares nationally
Buchanan County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.1% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,185).
Buchanan County's lower-band USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Buchanan County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Buchanan County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Clay 14.9
Clay 14.9%
14.9 % low-access
- Buchanan 14.1
Buchanan 14.1%
14.1 % low-access
- Scott 13.9
Scott 13.9%
13.9 % low-access
- Mills 13.3
Mills 13.3%
13.3 % low-access
- Lyon 12.8
Lyon 12.8%
12.8 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,958 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,962 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 708 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,694 |
| Median Household Income | $78,236 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 544 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
SNAP retailers in Buchanan County
Buchanan County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 17 authorized stores; Independence holds 53% of them. 4 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Jesup, Fairbank, Winthrop, Hazleton.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | 9 | 3 |
| Jesup | 3 | none |
| Fairbank | 2 | none |
| Winthrop | 2 | none |
| Hazleton | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- casey's general store 2169, independence
- casey's general store 2239, independence
- casey's general store 2623, fairbank
- casey's general store 3292, independence
- caseys general store 1378, jesup
- kwik star 713, jesup
- kwik star 717, independence
- pronto market, hazleton
- speede shop inc., winthrop
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 17647, jesup
- dollar general 21688, fairbank
- dollar general 2329, independence
- dollar tree 6442, independence
Super Store · 3
- fareway stores, inc. 479, independence
- hyvee dollar fresh 1262, independence
- walmart sc 750, independence
Small Grocery Store · 1
- nick's family grocer, winthrop
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Iowa
One of 98 counties in Iowa, 6 are shown here.
Compare Buchanan County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Counties near Buchanan County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Buchanan County (6.6%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (14.1% here).
- Osage County, KS · 14.1% low-access
- Twin Falls County, ID · 14.1% low-access
- Garrett County, MD · 14.1% low-access
- Steuben County, NY · 14.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (6.6% here).
- Adams County, IN · 6.6% SNAP
- Spencer County, KY · 6.6% SNAP
- Dukes County, MA · 6.6% SNAP
- Martin County, FL · 6.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Buchanan County, at 14.1%, runs 5.9 pts below the Iowa rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile 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. Figures for Buchanan County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19019. 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.
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.