PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Coles County, IL

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

29.2%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
19.0%
on SNAP
47K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

29.2% of Coles County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
8.7%
households, no vehicle
18.7%
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 Coles County's low-access share at 29.2%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,720 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,608 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 Coles County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Coles County's 29.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #986 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Coles County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Coles 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 Coles County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (33.3%) 2 tracts limited (16.7%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 33% Limited 17% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Coles County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Coles County vs. other Illinois counties

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

% 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 Coles County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)53,873
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population15,720
Low-Access Share29.2%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,608

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Coles County
IndicatorValue
Population46,777
Median Household Income$56,478
Poverty Rate18.7%above the national average
SNAP Households3,947
SNAP Participation Rate19.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.7%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.1%
SNAP participation in Coles County 19.0%

About 19.0% of Coles County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,947 households here.
  • 8.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Coles County

above the national share

6 of Coles County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 15,720 residents, roughly 29.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,608 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Coles County

Coles County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • b & d grocery inc, mattoon
  • cvs 8661, mattoon
  • cvs pharmacy 8638, charleston
  • charleston rural king supply 11, charleston
  • dollar general 4736, mattoon
  • dollar general 7181, charleston
  • dollar general 7954, mattoon
  • dollar tree 3633, mattoon
  • dollar general 11082, mattoon
  • dollar general 22312, mattoon
  • dollar general 31060, oakland
  • dollar tree 1910, charleston
  • family dollar 12083, oakland
  • family dollar store 1142, mattoon
  • mattoon rural king 1, mattoon
  • walgreens 05444, mattoon
  • walgreens 11542, charleston

Convenience Store · 15

  • casey's general store 1664, oakland
  • casey's general store 1722, mattoon
  • casey's general store 1878, charleston
  • circle k 4701232, mattoon
  • huck's 175, mattoon
  • huck's 250, charleston
  • huck's 407, charleston
  • i and i deli, ashmore
  • jack flash broadway 701, mattoon
  • lambo's amoco, mattoon
  • lanman oil company 1, charleston
  • mach 1 11, charleston
  • mattoon motomart 3147, mattoon
  • murphy usa 6565, charleston
  • shinemart inc, mattoon

Super Store · 5

  • county market 452, charleston
  • niemanns 450, mattoon
  • ruler 251, charleston
  • walmart 612, charleston
  • walmart supercenter 0481, mattoon

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 68037 68037, mattoon
  • aldi 68073, charleston

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • morgans meat market, mattoon

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • the butcher shop, charleston

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • mark's my store, mattoon

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Coles County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Coles County sits inside Illinois (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 Coles County has low food access? ▼
29.2% of residents in Coles County, IL 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 Coles County? ▼
19.0% of households in Coles County receive SNAP, covering 3,947 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Coles County? ▼
The poverty rate in Coles County, IL is 18.7%, with a median household income of $56,478 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Coles County a food desert? ▼
6 of Coles 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 Coles County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.7% of households in Coles 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.