Signature · 38.8% low-access (86th pct)
Cherry County, NE
Cherry County sits in the upper national band on low-access (38.8%, +16.7 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 38.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.4%
- on SNAP
- 5K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cherry County, NE
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 38.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +16.7 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.4% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Garden County ( -0.9 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Cherry County sits in the upper national band (38.8%, #446 of 3,079).
- #446
- national by low-access %
- #24
- in NE
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 620
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 38.8% low-access (86th pct) (+16.7 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Cherry County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cherry County's 38.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #446 most-affected nationwide.
Cherry County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 2 of Cherry County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Cherry County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Loup 39.9
Loup 39.9%
39.9 % low-access
- Cherry 38.8
Cherry 38.8%
38.8 % low-access
- Garden 37.9
Garden 37.9%
37.9 % low-access
- Frontier 37.8
Frontier 37.8%
37.8 % low-access
- Nuckolls 37.3
Nuckolls 37.3%
37.3 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,713 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,214 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 620 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,498 |
| Median Household Income | $66,270 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 99 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
SNAP retailers in Cherry County
Cherry County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 10 authorized stores; Valentine holds 90% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Benkleman.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 9 | 2 |
| Benkleman | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 5
- casey's general store 2731, valentine
- kwik stop 24, benkleman
- speedee mart 2725 2725, valentine
- speedee mart 2890 2890, valentine
- speedee mart 2895, valentine
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 8625, valentine
- family dollar 12730, valentine
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- valentine locker llc, valentine
Super Store · 1
- henderson's iga, valentine
Supermarket · 1
- scottys ranchland foods llc, valentine
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Nebraska
One of 92 counties in Nebraska, 6 are shown here.
Compare Cherry County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Nebraska among West North Central states
Nebraska ranks 6th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (21.9%). Cherry County, at 38.8%, runs 16.9 pts above the Nebraska rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Cherry County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31031. 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.