PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Iowa

Clinton County, IA

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

29.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
12.8%
on SNAP
46K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IA

The food-access picture

29.7% of Clinton County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
7.2%
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).

USDA data puts Clinton County's low-access share at 29.7%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,595 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,102 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 Clinton County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Clinton County's 29.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #956 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Clinton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Clinton 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 Clinton County, IA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (41.7%) 5 tracts limited (41.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 42% Limited 42% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Clinton County, IA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Clinton 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 Clinton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,116
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population14,595
Low-Access Share29.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,102

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Clinton County
IndicatorValue
Population46,268
Median Household Income$66,981
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households2,491
SNAP Participation Rate12.8%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Clinton County 12.8%

About 12.8% of Clinton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,491 households here.
  • 7.2% 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 Clinton County

above the national share

2 of Clinton County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 14,595 residents, roughly 29.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,102 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (41.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Clinton County

Clinton County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • 4706602.0 6602, clinton
  • casey's general store 2030, clinton
  • casey's general store 2222, clinton
  • casey's general store 2256, de witt
  • casey's general store 3440, camanche
  • caseys general store 1045, delmar
  • clinton liquor, clinton
  • day break, wheatland
  • express lane gas & food mart 3, clinton
  • express lane gas & food mart 61, clinton
  • express lane gas & food mart 71, clinton
  • expresslane 73, clinton
  • gateway mart, clinton
  • hy-vee gas 1075, clinton
  • kwik star 207, de witt
  • kwik star 348, clinton
  • kwik star 632, camanche
  • kwik star 642, clinton
  • kwik star 698, clinton
  • ljsl llc dba dewitt travel mart, de witt
  • liquor, tobacco & vape, clinton
  • porters convenient 66, clinton
  • sa tobacco and liquor mart, clinton
  • tri stop, lost nation

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar general 19794, wheatland
  • dollar general 21540, clinton
  • dollar general 21809, clinton
  • dollar general 30243, de witt
  • dollar general 3487, clinton
  • dollar general 4065, de witt
  • dollar general 6551, camanche
  • dollar general 7592, clinton
  • dollar tree 8357, clinton
  • dollar tree 925, clinton
  • family dollar 6435, de witt
  • walgreens 5119, clinton
  • walgreens 5144, clinton

Super Store · 4

  • fareway stores, inc. 025, clinton
  • hy-vee food & drugstore 1075, clinton
  • randy's neighborhood market, de witt
  • walmart sc 2889, clinton

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 68019, clinton
  • jewel 1118, clinton

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • wheatland grocery, wheatland

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • la laguna market # 2, clinton

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 Clinton County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →

Food access nationally, Iowa in context

Clinton 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 Clinton County has low food access? ▼
29.7% of residents in Clinton 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 Clinton County? ▼
12.8% of households in Clinton County receive SNAP, covering 2,491 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Clinton County? ▼
The poverty rate in Clinton County, IA is 13.2%, with a median household income of $66,981 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Clinton County a food desert? ▼
2 of Clinton County's 12 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 Clinton County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.2% of households in Clinton 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.