Signature · 12.9% low-access (27th pct)
Carroll County, IL
Carroll County lands in the lower national band on low-access (12.9%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 12.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 15.1%
- on SNAP
- 16K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Carroll County, IL
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 12.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -9.2 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Macoupin County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Carroll County lands in the lower national band (12.9%, #2,274 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,274
- national by low-access %
- #80
- in IL
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 690
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 12.9% low-access (27th pct) (-9.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Carroll County compares nationally
Carroll County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.9% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,274).
Carroll County's lower-band USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Carroll 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.
Carroll County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint
- Scott
Scott 66.5%
66.5 % low-access
- Menard 13.4
Menard 13.4%
13.4 % low-access
- Marshall 13.2
Marshall 13.2%
13.2 % low-access
- Carroll 12.9
Carroll 12.9%
12.9 % low-access
- Macoupin 12.7
Macoupin 12.7%
12.7 % low-access
- Cass 12.2
Cass 12.2%
12.2 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,387 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,982 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 690 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,576 |
| Median Household Income | $60,758 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 996 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 10.4% |
SNAP retailers in Carroll County
Carroll County has 18 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 18 authorized stores; Lanark holds 33% of them. 4 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Milledgeville, Mount Carroll, Thomson, Shannon.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Lanark | 6 | 1 |
| Savanna | 5 | 1 |
| Milledgeville | 2 | none |
| Mount Carroll | 2 | none |
| Thomson | 2 | none |
| Shannon | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 7
- casey's 1636, milledgeville
- casey's general store 2535, savanna
- casey's general store 2666, thomson
- casey's general store 3455, lanark
- casey's general store 3493, shannon
- expresslane 5, lanark
- point rock investments inc., savanna
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 14945, milledgeville
- dollar general 16256, lanark
- dollar general 19861, mount carroll
- dollar general 2428, savanna
- dollar general 30503, thomson
- shaws food pride, mount carroll
Farmers' Market · 1
- lanark farmer's market, lanark
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- carroll county locker company, lanark
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- lanark food center, lanark
Seafood Specialty · 1
- seidemann fisheries, savanna
Supermarket · 1
- sullivan's foods 3169, savanna
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Illinois
One of 101 counties in Illinois, 6 are shown here.
Compare Carroll County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Counties near Carroll County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Carroll County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IL (12.9% here).
- Franklin County, ME · 12.9% low-access
- Bay County, MI · 12.9% low-access
- Iosco County, MI · 12.9% low-access
- Flathead County, MT · 12.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (15.1% here).
- Wayne County, IN · 15.1% SNAP
- Taylor County, KY · 15.1% SNAP
- Garrett County, MD · 15.1% SNAP
- Gratiot County, MI · 15.1% 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.
Illinois among East North Central states
Illinois ranks 5th of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.2%). Carroll County, at 12.9%, runs 7.3 pts below the Illinois rate.
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 Carroll County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17015. 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.