County food-access profile · Illinois
Cook County, IL
Most of Cook County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 7.4%
- low-access pop.
- 51
- food-desert tracts
- 15.7%
- on SNAP
- 5.2M
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.4% of Cook County residents live in a low-access area, and 51 of its 1,314 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 168
- low-access tracts
- 92K
- food-desert residents
- 18.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.5%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Cook County fares better than most: just 7.4% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 168 of the county's 1,314 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 382,297 people who live far from a supermarket, and 51 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 91,773 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 Cook County compares nationally
Food access in Cook County compares favorably nationally: its 7.4% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,688).
Cook County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 1,314 census tracts in Cook County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cook County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Cook 7.4
Cook County, IL
7.4 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1,314 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,194,675 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 168 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 51 |
| Low-Access Population | 382,297 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.4%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 91,773 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,182,090 |
| Median Household Income | $83,498 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 329,128 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 18.0%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 15.7% of Cook County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.4% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 329,128 households here.
- 18.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 51 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 Cook County
below the national share
51 of Cook County's 1,314 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 3.9% of all its tracts.
A further 117 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 168.
An estimated 382,297 residents, roughly 7.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 91,773 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1,146 tracts (87.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cook County
Cook County has 3,376 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 229 locations (7% of the total), followed by bakery specialty.
Combination Grocery/Other · 229
- 7 eleven 33908a, chicago
- 7-eleven 33728, chicago
- 7-eleven 29726g, chicago
- 76 gas, chicago
- 88 marketplace, chicago
- a & g liquors, inc., chicago
- artemio's bakery #2, chicago
- aadhya grocery store, chicago
- aboud halal market, palos heights
- adom african market, chicago
- al falah market inc, worth
- amazon go goc1, chicago
- amras african store llc, chicago
- andy's deli & mikolajczyk sausage shop inc 1, chicago
- best choice oriental grocery, inc, chicago
- bharat bazar, chicago
- bobos market inc, chicago
- burnham plaza mart, chicago
- carniceria aguascalientes, chicago
- carniceria guanajuato, chicago
- cremeria santa maria 1, chicago
- cvs 10467, glenview
- cvs 2790, evergreen park
- cvs 2797, niles
- cvs 2798, chicago
- cvs 2827, hillside
- cvs 2844, oak park
- cvs 2845, chicago
- cvs 2863, rolling meadows
- cvs 2935, chicago
- cvs 3110, mount prospect
- cvs 3163, oak park
- cvs 3170, chicago
- cvs 3690, chicago
- cvs 3742, chicago
- cvs 3889, river forest
- cvs 4581, niles
- cvs 4778, evanston
- cvs 4793, chicago
- cvs 4978, midlothian
- cvs 4979, chicago
- cvs 5001, chicago
- cvs 5482, chicago
- cvs 5769, calumet city
- cvs 5819, palos heights
- cvs 5836, chicago
- cvs 5987, chicago
- cvs 70, flossmoor
- cvs 7166, riverdale
- cvs 8745, chicago
- cvs 8757, skokie
- cvs 8910, chicago
- cvs 8980, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 10942, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 11090, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 11376, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 11410, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 141, northbrook
- cvs pharmacy 1493, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 1768, olympia fields
- cvs pharmacy 1773, tinley park
- cvs pharmacy 2981, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 3603, tinley park
- cvs pharmacy 3901, evanston
- cvs pharmacy 4061, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 4781, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 7143, schaumburg
- cvs pharmacy 788, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 834, hickory hills
- cvs pharmacy 8500, orland park
- cvs pharmacy 8502, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8505, worth
- cvs pharmacy 8512, park forest
- cvs pharmacy 8698, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8734, schaumburg
- cvs pharmacy 8735, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8736, forest park
- cvs pharmacy 8738, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8739, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8740, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8742, cicero
- cvs pharmacy 8744, brookfield
- cvs pharmacy 8747, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8749, lincolnwood
- cvs pharmacy 8750, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8751, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8753, chicago
- cvs pharmacy 8760, evanston
- cvs/pharmacy 10052, wilmette
- cake bros. bakery 2, berwyn
- cakes by one inc., elgin
- carniceria la hacienda, chicago
- chicago food market inc, chicago
- chicago heights food & liquor, chicago heights
- chicago lucky food inc., chicago
- chicago mm deal, chicago
- ciales poultry, chicago
- continental sales lots 4 less, chicago
- cook bros inc, chicago
- dollar general 10419, midlothian
- dollar general 10671, hickory hills
- dollar general 11524, berkeley
- dollar general 13777, chicago
- dollar general 14614, chicago
- dollar general 19331, chicago
- dollar general 3498, richton park
- dollar tree 0638, burbank
- dollar tree 0645, chicago
- dollar tree 0655, melrose park
- dollar tree 0673, chicago
- dollar tree 0753, countryside
- dollar tree 0754, oak lawn
- dollar tree 0842, des plaines
- dollar tree 3357, oak park
- dollar tree 3359, chicago
- dollar tree 3414, matteson
- dollar tree 4594, blue island
- dollar tree 4602, berwyn
- dollar tree 4651, broadview
- dollar tree 4693, chicago
- dollartree 10665, lemont
- dollartree 10765, park ridge
- dollartree 5213, evergreen park
- dollartree 5340, midlothian
- dollartree 6407, chicago
- dollartree 6904, chicago
- dollartree 6910, chicago
- dollartree 8038, franklin park
- dollartree 8039, summit
- dollartree 8040, chicago
- dollartree 8063, chicago
- dollartree 8182, harwood heights
- dollartree 8688, hoffman estates
- dollartree 8726, lansing
- dollartree 8756, wheeling
- dollartree 8796, chicago
- dollartree 8833, chicago
- dollartree 8840, chicago
- dollartree 8887, schiller park
- dollartree 8913, elk grove village
- dollartree 9127, chicago
- dollartree 9190, chicago
- dollartree 9212, palatine
- dollartree 9538, hanover park
- dollartree 9701, sauk village
- dollartree 9773, orland park
- daily fresh market inc, worth
- delightful pastries inc., chicago
- dicola's seafood, chicago
- divine food market inc, south holland
- divya food mart corp, harwood heights
- dollar buster, berwyn
- dollar buster 63, chicago
- dollar general 11509, harvey
- dollar general 11803, country club hills
- dollar general 11821, chicago
- dollar general 11833, chicago
- dollar general 11908, norridge
- dollar general 11987, hanover park
- dollar general 11993, burbank
- dollar general 12380, burbank
- dollar general 12544, chicago
- dollar general 12864, chicago
- dollar general 13157, chicago
- dollar general 14303, park forest
- dollar general 15029, chicago heights
- dollar general 15472, chicago
- dollar general 15497, steger
- dollar general 17307, bellwood
- dollar general 19095, chicago
- dollar general 19098, chicago
- dollar general 19100, chicago
- dollar general 19101, chicago
- dollar general 19102, chicago
- dollar general 19103, chicago
- dollar general 20597, chicago
- dollar general 21272, westchester
- dollar general 22531, chicago
- dollar general 22876, lynwood
- dollar general 24256, calumet city
- dollar general 25556, streamwood
- dollar general 25628, berwyn
- dollar general 25809, chicago
- dollar general 30227, countryside
- dollar general 30513, arlington heights
- dollar general 30640, robbins
- dollar general 30719, oak forest
- dollar general store 13190, chicago
- dollar general store 18701, chicago
- dollar tree 0648, berwyn
- dollar tree 1032, hickory hills
- dollar tree 1080, northlake
- dollar tree 1979, rolling meadows
- dollar tree 2112, palatine
- dollar tree 2598, tinley park
- dollar tree 2821, merrionette park
- dollar tree 3285, hazel crest
- dollar tree 3347, palatine
- dollar tree 3451, bellwood
- dollar tree 3500, oak lawn
- dollar tree 3512, orland park
- dollar tree 3532, chicago heights
- dollar tree 3601, des plaines
- dollar tree 3612, south chicago heights
- dollar tree 3678, calumet city
- dollar tree 3916, morton grove
- dollar tree 3918, chicago
- dollar tree 4056, chicago
- dollar tree 4204, chicago
- dollar tree 4215, chicago
- dollar tree 4413, arlington heights
- dollar tree 4475, chicago
- dollar tree 4808, buffalo grove
- dollar tree 4841, chicago
- dollar tree 4870, arlington heights
- dollar tree 4903, chicago
- dollar tree 4921, northbrook
- dollar tree 5169, chicago
- dollar tree 5277, chicago
- dollar tree 5412, lemont
- dollar tree 5461, chicago
- dollar tree 5537, chicago
- dollar tree 5608, mount prospect
- dollar tree 5617, chicago
- dollar tree 5684, niles
- dollar tree 5685, chicago
- dollar tree 5705, chicago
- dollar tree 5857, melrose park
- dollar tree 5884, harvey
Bakery Specialty · 21
- ace bakery, chicago
- alwatan bakery 1, bridgeview
- bravo baking co., prospect heights
- bravo baking co., mount prospect
- celias bakery, melrose park
- chicago best naan inc, chicago
- del real bakery, chicago
- don pan bakery, chicago
- grecia's bakery corporation, chicago
- kabul naan 1006, chicago
- la perla tapatia 2, chicago
- la france bakery, chicago
- laury's bakery & cake, oak park
- meron injera inc, chicago
- monserrat' s bakery inc., wheeling
- panaderia ayutla corporation, chicago
- pierre's bakery at chicago avenue, chicago
- pierre's bakery inc, blue island
- pierres bakery, berwyn
- roeser's bakery, chicago
- reuter's bakery llc, chicago
Showing 250 of 3,376 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Cook County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Cook County sits inside Illinois (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Cook County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cook County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cook County? ▼
Is Cook County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cook County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.