PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Iowa

Cerro Gordo County, IA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cerro Gordo 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).

21.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
9.0%
on SNAP
43K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IA

The food-access picture

21.6% of Cerro Gordo County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.0%
households, no vehicle
10.6%
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 Cerro Gordo County's low-access share at 21.6%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,549 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,416 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 Cerro Gordo County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cerro Gordo County's 21.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,557 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cerro Gordo County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County, IA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (45.5%) 4 tracts limited (36.4%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 45% Limited 36% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Cerro Gordo County, IA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cerro Gordo County vs. other Iowa counties

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

% 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 Cerro Gordo County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)44,151
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population9,549
Low-Access Share21.6%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,416

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cerro Gordo County
IndicatorValue
Population42,632
Median Household Income$68,189
Poverty Rate10.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,760
SNAP Participation Rate9.0%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.5%
SNAP participation in Cerro Gordo County 9.0%

About 9.0% of Cerro Gordo County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,760 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 Cerro Gordo County

above the national share

2 of Cerro Gordo 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 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 9,549 residents, roughly 21.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,416 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (45.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cerro Gordo County

Cerro Gordo County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • casey's general store 1893, mason city
  • casey's general store 1896, clear lake
  • casey's general store 2437, mason city
  • casey's general store 2458, mason city
  • caseys general store 019, mason city
  • caseys general store 1427, clear lake
  • hy-vee gas #2 5413, mason city
  • kwik star 1027, mason city
  • kwik star 1066, clear lake
  • kwik star 1077, mason city
  • kwik star 1085, mason city
  • kwik star 223, clear lake
  • liquor tobacco &grocery, mason city
  • malik's 3, mason city
  • mason mart, mason city
  • maverik 5120, clear lake
  • mega saver 74, clear lake
  • pilot travel center 407, clear lake
  • sama inc., mason city
  • tobacco outlet plus 552, mason city
  • yesway 10019, mason city
  • yesway 10032, mason city
  • yesway 1011, mason city

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 23916, mason city
  • dollar general 4616, clear lake
  • dollar general 6730, mason city
  • dollar tree 2480, mason city
  • dollar tree 8598, mason city
  • family dollar 4844, mason city
  • walgreens 5941, mason city

Super Store · 6

  • fareway stores, inc. 491, mason city
  • fareway stores, inc. 705, clear lake
  • hy-vee food store 1410, mason city
  • hy-vee food store 1413, mason city
  • target store 0804, mason city
  • walmart sc 810, mason city

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 72047, mason city
  • clear lake payless foods, clear lake
  • hy-vee drug store 7056, mason city

Farmers' Market · 2

  • clear lake farmers market, clear lake
  • n iowa farmers market dba mason city farmers mkt, mason city

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • midtown liquor, mason city
  • pinoy asian market, mason city

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's ia006, mason city

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • loue's custom meats, clear lake

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Iowa

Adair County
8.0% low-access · 9.8% SNAP
Adams County
6.4% low-access · 9.5% SNAP
Allamakee County
10.9% low-access · 8.3% SNAP
Appanoose County
15.7% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Audubon County
7.4% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Benton County
17.0% low-access · 4.8% SNAP

Compare Cerro Gordo County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →

Food access nationally, Iowa in context

Cerro Gordo County sits inside Iowa (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 Cerro Gordo County has low food access? ▼
21.6% of residents in Cerro Gordo County, IA 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 Cerro Gordo County? ▼
9.0% of households in Cerro Gordo County receive SNAP, covering 1,760 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cerro Gordo County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cerro Gordo County, IA is 10.6%, with a median household income of $68,189 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cerro Gordo County a food desert? ▼
2 of Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.0% of households in Cerro Gordo 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.