PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Carroll County, IL

Carroll 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.

12.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.1%
on SNAP
16K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

12.9% of Carroll County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
690
food-desert residents
3.3%
households, no vehicle
14.2%
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).

Carroll County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.9% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 1,982 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 690 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 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 #2,281).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Carroll County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Carroll 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 Carroll County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 1 tracts limited (16.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 67% Limited 17% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Carroll County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Carroll County vs. other Illinois counties

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

% 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 Carroll County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)15,387
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population1,982
Low-Access Share12.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population690

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Carroll County
IndicatorValue
Population15,576
Median Household Income$60,758
Poverty Rate14.2%near the national average
SNAP Households996
SNAP Participation Rate15.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population10.4%
SNAP participation in Carroll County 15.1%

About 15.1% of Carroll County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 996 households here.
  • 3.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Carroll County

near the national share

1 of Carroll County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 1,982 residents, roughly 12.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 690 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

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.

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 retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Carroll County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Carroll County sits inside Illinois (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 Carroll County has low food access? ▼
12.9% of residents in Carroll County, IL 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 Carroll County? ▼
15.1% of households in Carroll County receive SNAP, covering 996 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Carroll County? ▼
The poverty rate in Carroll County, IL is 14.2%, with a median household income of $60,758 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Carroll County a food desert? ▼
1 of Carroll County's 6 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 Carroll County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.3% of households in Carroll 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.