County food-access profile · Iowa
Buena Vista County, IA
Buena Vista 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.
- 16.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 10.0%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.6% of Buena Vista County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 1.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.8%
- 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).
Buena Vista County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.6% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,367 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Buena Vista County compares nationally
Buena Vista County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.6% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,983).
Buena Vista County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Buena Vista County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Buena Vista County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Buena Vista
Buena Vista County, IA
16.6 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee
Allamakee County, IA
10.9 % low-access
- Appanoose
Appanoose County, IA
15.7 % low-access
- Audubon
Audubon County, IA
7.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,260 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,367 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,138 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,753 |
| Median Household Income | $71,719 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.8%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 754 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 1.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.6% |
About 10.0% of Buena Vista County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 754 households here.
- 1.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $71,719 with a 7.8% poverty rate.
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 Buena Vista County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 3,367 residents, roughly 16.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,138 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Buena Vista County
Buena Vista County has 24 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 11
- brew 41, albert city
- casey's general store 2530, alta
- casey's general store 3030, storm lake
- casey's general store 3679, storm lake
- hy-vee fast and fresh express 5634, storm lake
- kimmes country stores 06, alta
- kwik star 1295, storm lake
- murphy usa 6923, storm lake
- sparky's one stop 16, storm lake
- sparkys one stop 6, newell
- valentinas meat market, storm lake
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 1047, storm lake
- el mexicano ii, storm lake
- storm lake african grocery store, storm lake
- walgreens 11330, storm lake
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- may flower asian grocery, storm lake
- sichanh asian food market, storm lake
- yawlay asian market, storm lake
Super Store · 3
- fareway stores, inc. 461, storm lake
- hy-vee food store 1634, storm lake
- walmart sc 1526, storm lake
Farmers' Market · 1
- zabloudils' nafmnp, storm lake
Large Grocery Store · 1
- sioux food center, sioux rapids
Small Grocery Store · 1
- sudee asian market llc. 0, storm lake
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Compare Buena Vista County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Buena Vista County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Buena Vista County? ▼
Is Buena Vista County a food desert? ▼
What share of Buena Vista 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.