PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Indiana

Cass County, IN

Most of Cass County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

6.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
9.4%
on SNAP
38K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IN

The food-access picture

6.3% of Cass County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
5.0%
households, no vehicle
13.2%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Cass County fares better than most: just 6.3% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,449 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,046 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 Cass County compares nationally

Food access in Cass County compares favorably nationally: its 6.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,746).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cass County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 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).

Food access tier distribution for Cass County, IN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 1 tracts limited (9.1%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 73% Limited 9% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Cass County, IN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cass County vs. other Indiana counties

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

% 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 Cass County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,966
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,449
Low-Access Share6.3%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,046

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cass County
IndicatorValue
Population37,680
Median Household Income$56,403
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households1,420
SNAP Participation Rate9.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.3%
SNAP participation in Cass County 9.4%

About 9.4% of Cass County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.3% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,420 households here.
  • 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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 Cass County

below the national share

2 of Cass County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 2,449 residents, roughly 6.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,046 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cass County

Cass County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 16

  • casey's 2159, logansport
  • carniceria la fiesta, logansport
  • express stop, logansport
  • fast lane foods 4, galveston
  • good to go 32, royal center
  • logansport convenience store, logansport
  • logansport petroleum inc, logansport
  • mcclure oil 60, logansport
  • mcclure oil 61, logansport
  • mcclure oil 62, logansport
  • mcclure oil 63, logansport
  • mcclure oil 64, logansport
  • one stop food & gas, logansport
  • quick pantry llc, logansport
  • speedway 6060, logansport
  • speedway 8043, galveston

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs 6534, logansport
  • dollar general 11262, galveston
  • dollar general 1140, logansport
  • dollar general 19544, logansport
  • dollar general 2606, logansport
  • dollar general 15024, logansport
  • dollar general 21308, walton
  • dollar general 22959, logansport
  • dollar tree 4322, logansport
  • family dollar 10447, royal center
  • family dollar store 2401, logansport
  • walgreens 3148, logansport

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • jehovah-jireh haitian market, logansport
  • naga asian market, logansport
  • sejours caribbean grocery, logansport

Super Store · 3

  • martin's super markets 2318, logansport
  • ruler 325, logansport
  • walmart supercenter 1329, logansport

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • farmers fresh market, logansport
  • tienda la bendicion inc, logansport

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 44027 44027, logansport
  • d & r fruit market, logansport

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Indiana

Adams County
17.5% low-access · 6.6% SNAP
Allen County
37.8% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Bartholomew County
36.4% low-access · 7.4% SNAP
Benton County
1.7% low-access · 11.7% SNAP
Blackford County
15.2% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Boone County
17.9% low-access · 3.7% SNAP

Compare Cass County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →

Food access nationally, Indiana in context

Cass County sits inside Indiana (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 Cass County has low food access? ▼
6.3% of residents in Cass County, IN 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 Cass County? ▼
9.4% of households in Cass County receive SNAP, covering 1,420 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cass County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cass County, IN is 13.2%, with a median household income of $56,403 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cass County a food desert? ▼
2 of Cass County's 11 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 Cass County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.0% of households in Cass 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.