PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Dakota

Codington County, SD

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

32.5%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
5.0%
on SNAP
29K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SD

The food-access picture

32.5% of Codington County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.3%
households, no vehicle
8.8%
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 Codington County's low-access share at 32.5%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,862 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Codington County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Codington County's 32.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #778 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Codington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Codington 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 Codington County, SD USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (42.9%) 4 tracts limited (57.1%) Adequate 43% Limited 57% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Codington County, SD
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Codington County vs. other South Dakota counties

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

% 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 Codington County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)27,227
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population8,862
Low-Access Share32.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,775

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Codington County
IndicatorValue
Population28,767
Median Household Income$72,727
Poverty Rate8.8%below the national average
SNAP Households628
SNAP Participation Rate5.0%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Codington County 5.0%

About 5.0% of Codington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 628 households here.
  • 5.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $72,727 with a 8.8% poverty rate.

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 Codington County

above the national share

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 8,862 residents, roughly 32.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,775 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Codington County

Codington County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 8

  • casey's 2089, watertown
  • casey's 2445, watertown
  • casey's 2455, watertown
  • dakota butcher watertown east, inc., watertown
  • freedom watertown, watertown
  • prairie stop, watertown
  • sioux valley coop 20, watertown
  • sioux valley coop 28, watertown

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dakota butcher- watertown inc, watertown
  • dollar general 21569, watertown
  • dollar general 21951, watertown
  • dollar general 25615, watertown
  • dollar tree 3208, watertown
  • walgreens 10007, watertown

Super Store · 4

  • county fair foods of watertown, watertown
  • hy-vee food store 1871, watertown
  • target stores t- 0859, watertown
  • walmart sc 1500, watertown

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys of watertown sd004, watertown

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 72111, watertown

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Dakota

Aurora County
70.4% low-access · 4.4% SNAP
Beadle County
29.0% low-access · 11.3% SNAP
Bennett County
39.2% low-access · 17.0% SNAP
Bon Homme County
80.2% low-access · 6.3% SNAP
Brookings County
45.4% low-access · 4.4% SNAP
Brown County
42.1% low-access · 8.8% SNAP

Compare Codington County vs Aurora County → · All South Dakota counties →

Food access nationally, South Dakota in context

Codington County sits inside South Dakota (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 Codington County has low food access? ▼
32.5% of residents in Codington County, SD 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 Codington County? ▼
5.0% of households in Codington County receive SNAP, covering 628 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Codington County? ▼
The poverty rate in Codington County, SD is 8.8%, with a median household income of $72,727 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Codington County a food desert? ▼
0 of Codington County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Codington County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.3% of households in Codington 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.