Signature · 29.9% low-access (70th pct)
Calhoun County, IA
Calhoun County sits in the upper national band on low-access (29.9%, +7.8 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 29.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.5%
- on SNAP
- 10K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Calhoun County, IA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 29.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +7.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Clinton County ( -0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Calhoun County sits in the upper national band (29.9%, #935 of 3,079).
- #935
- national by low-access %
- #11
- in IA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 856
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 29.9% low-access (70th pct) (+7.8 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Calhoun County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Calhoun County's 29.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #935 most-affected nationwide.
Calhoun County's elevated USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 4 of Calhoun County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Calhoun County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Des Moines 30.1
Des Moines 30.1%
30.1 % low-access
- Calhoun 29.9
Calhoun 29.9%
29.9 % low-access
- Clinton 29.7
Clinton 29.7%
29.7 % low-access
- Osceola 29.6
Osceola 29.6%
29.6 % low-access
- Linn 29.2
Linn 29.2%
29.2 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 9,670 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,890 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 856 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 9,803 |
| Median Household Income | $64,964 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 378 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.0% |
SNAP retailers in Calhoun County
Calhoun County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 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; Manson holds 29% of them. 2 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Pomeroy, Lohrville.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Manson | 5 | 1 |
| Rockwell City | 5 | 1 |
| Lake City | 4 | 1 |
| Pomeroy | 2 | none |
| Lohrville | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- casey's 62, pomeroy
- casey's general store 2517, rockwell city
- casey's general store 2518, lohrville
- casey's general store 2628, lake city
- cubby's manson 304, manson
- kimmes country stores 09, rockwell city
- manson country store 10, manson
- sparky's one stop 10, lake city
- sparky's one stop 28, rockwell city
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 23572, pomeroy
- dollar general 9970, rockwell city
- dollar general store 17584, lake city
- dollar general store 18011, manson
Large Grocery Store · 1
- lc market & meats, lake city
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- manson hometown grocery, manson
Small Grocery Store · 1
- hwy & market llc, manson
Super Store · 1
- fareway stores, inc. 222, rockwell city
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 Calhoun County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Calhoun County, at 29.9%, runs 9.9 pts above 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 Calhoun County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19025. 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.