County food-access profile · Iowa
Cass County, IA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cass 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).
- 28.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.0%
- on SNAP
- 13K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.7% of Cass 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
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.3%
- 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 Cass County's low-access share at 28.7%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 4,012 people. 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 Cass County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cass County's 28.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 67% of them and ranked #1,025 most-affected nationwide.
Cass County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Cass County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cass County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Cass
Cass County, IA
28.7 % low-access
- Adair 8
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee 10.9
Allamakee County, IA
10.9 % low-access
- Appanoose
Appanoose County, IA
15.7 % low-access
- Audubon 7.4
Audubon County, IA
7.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 13,956 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,012 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,274 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,096 |
| Median Household Income | $63,013 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 699 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 12.0% of Cass County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 699 households here.
- 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $63,013 with a 14.3% 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 Cass County
above 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 4,012 residents, roughly 28.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,274 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cass County
Cass County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 7
- 21st century coop c-store, massena
- casey's 2610, atlantic
- casey's general store 1567, anita
- casey's general store 2365, atlantic
- casey's general store 2817, griswold
- casey's general store 3035, atlantic
- murphy usa 7164, atlantic
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 0111, atlantic
- dollar general 20294, griswold
- family dollar 13700, anita
Super Store · 3
- fareway stores, inc. 940, atlantic
- hy-vee food store 1026, atlantic
- walmart sc 3394, atlantic
Farmers' Market · 1
- produce in the park, atlantic
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- tcj micro mart, atlantic
Small Grocery Store · 1
- economy food market, massena
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Cass 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 Cass County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cass County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cass County? ▼
Is Cass County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cass 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.