Signature · 12.2% low-access (26th pct)
Cass County, IL
Cass County lands in the lower national band on low-access (12.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 12.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 14.7%
- on SNAP
- 13K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cass County, IL
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 12.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -9.9 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Douglas County ( -0.4 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Cass County lands in the lower national band (12.2%, #2,318 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,318
- national by low-access %
- #82
- in IL
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 465
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 12.2% low-access (26th pct) (-9.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Cass County compares nationally
Cass County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.2% low-access share that beats 26% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,327).
Cass County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Cass County has 2 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Cass 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
- 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
- Douglas 11.8
Douglas 11.8%
11.8 % low-access
- Washington 11.8
Washington 11.8%
11.8 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 13,642 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,659 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 465 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,784 |
| Median Household Income | $68,125 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 755 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Cass County
Cass County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 6
- ayerco convenience center 32, arenzville
- bps retail fuels 1, virginia
- casey's general store 1480, beardstown
- casey's general store 2026, ashland
- casey's general store 3472, virginia
- t-mart beardstown, beardstown
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 9182, virginia
- dollar general 1069, beardstown
- dollar general 12507, ashland
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- hispanic market, beardstown
- the brook cherith grocery store, beardstown
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- 440 custom meats & market, virginia
Small Grocery Store · 1
- su casa, beardstown
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 1451, beardstown
Supermarket · 1
- save-a-lot 24848, beardstown
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 Cass County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Counties near Cass County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Cass 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 (12.2% here).
- Santa Barbara County, CA · 12.2% low-access
- Santa Barbara County, CA · 12.2% low-access
- Yadkin County, NC · 12.2% low-access
- Yadkin County, NC · 12.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (14.7% here).
- Franklin County, GA · 14.7% SNAP
- Franklin County, GA · 14.7% SNAP
- Glenn County, CA · 14.7% SNAP
- Glenn County, CA · 14.7% 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.
Cass County inside a lower low-access state context
Cass County sits inside Illinois (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Cass County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17017. 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.