PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Nebraska

Buffalo County, NE

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

30.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
6.5%
on SNAP
51K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NE

The food-access picture

30.7% of Buffalo County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.5%
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 Buffalo County's low-access share at 30.7%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,159 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,358 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 Buffalo County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Buffalo County's 30.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #896 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Buffalo County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Buffalo 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 Buffalo County, NE USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (27.3%) 6 tracts limited (54.5%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 27% Limited 55% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Buffalo County, NE
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Buffalo County vs. other Nebraska counties

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

% 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 Buffalo County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)46,102
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population14,159
Low-Access Share30.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,358

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Buffalo County
IndicatorValue
Population50,579
Median Household Income$75,911
Poverty Rate9.9%below the national average
SNAP Households1,306
SNAP Participation Rate6.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.5%
SNAP participation in Buffalo County 6.5%

About 6.5% of Buffalo County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,306 households here.
  • 4.5% 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 Buffalo County

above the national share

2 of Buffalo County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 14,159 residents, roughly 30.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,358 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (27.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Buffalo County

Buffalo County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • casey's 2711, kearney
  • casey's 3298, kearney
  • casey's 3997, kearney
  • casey's 4303, elm creek
  • casey's general store 1735, kearney
  • casey's general store 2038, kearney
  • casey's general store 2884, kearney
  • caseys general store 3465, gibbon
  • hy-vee gas 5323, kearney
  • kwik stop 11, kearney
  • kwik stop 15, kearney
  • kwik stop 19, kearney
  • kwik stop 22, gibbon
  • pilot travel center 901, elm creek
  • pump & pantry 27, kearney
  • pump & pantry 30, elm creek
  • pump & pantry 40, kearney
  • pump & pantry 41, kearney
  • pump & pantry 56, kearney
  • sapp bros travel center, elm creek
  • speedee mart 2767 2767, kearney

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 16144, gibbon
  • dollar general 17189, kearney
  • dollar general 20819, elm creek
  • dollar general 25101, kearney
  • dollar general 9031, kearney
  • dollar general store 16049, ravenna
  • dollar tree 8362, kearney
  • walgreens 03716, kearney

Super Store · 4

  • family fresh market 765, kearney
  • hy-vee 1323, kearney
  • target stores t- 0857, kearney
  • walmart sc 0598, kearney

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • fosters family foods inc, elm creek
  • larry's market, shelton
  • mno hometown market-ravenna 2, ravenna

Farmers' Market · 2

  • farmers market 365, kearney
  • kearney area farmer market, kearney

Supermarket · 2

  • apple market 26, kearney
  • boogarrts 869, kearney

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's ne020, kearney

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • adam's corner market, gibbon

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Nebraska

Adams County
35.0% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Antelope County
12.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP
Arthur County
100.0% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Banner County
98.5% low-access · 1.3% SNAP
Blaine County
100.0% low-access
Boone County
12.3% low-access · 3.9% SNAP

Compare Buffalo County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →

Food access nationally, Nebraska in context

Buffalo County sits inside Nebraska (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 Buffalo County has low food access? ▼
30.7% of residents in Buffalo County, NE 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 Buffalo County? ▼
6.5% of households in Buffalo County receive SNAP, covering 1,306 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Buffalo County? ▼
The poverty rate in Buffalo County, NE is 9.9%, with a median household income of $75,911 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Buffalo County a food desert? ▼
2 of Buffalo County's 11 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 Buffalo County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Buffalo 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.