Signature · 2 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Custer County, NE
Custer County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 44.6% low-access.
- 44.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Custer County, NE
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 44.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +22.5 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pierce County (+ 1.9 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Custer County sits in the upper national band (44.6%, #289 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #289
- national by low-access %
- #20
- in NE
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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: 2 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Custer County compares nationally
Custer County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 44.6% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #289 most-affected nationwide.
Custer County's elevated USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Custer County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Custer County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Franklin
Franklin 47%
47 % low-access
- Pierce
Pierce 46.5%
46.5 % low-access
- Custer
Custer 44.6%
44.6 % low-access
- Dawson
Dawson 41.3%
41.3 % low-access
- Grant
Grant 41%
41 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 10,939 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,875 |
| Low-Access Share | 44.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,576 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,518 |
| Median Household Income | $67,906 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.1%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 350 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Custer County
Custer County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 2 locations (22% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 9 authorized stores; Broken Bow holds 56% of them. 1 of the 5 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Anselmo.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Broken Bow | 5 | 1 |
| Anselmo | 1 | none |
| Arnold | 1 | 1 |
| Callaway | 1 | 1 |
| Sargent | 1 | 1 |
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 23411, broken bow
- dollar general 4528, broken bow
Convenience Store · 2
- casey's general store 1845, broken bow
- pump & pantry 14, broken bow
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- callaway market 1, callaway
- reeds food center inc, arnold
Large Grocery Store · 1
- sargent corner market, sargent
Small Grocery Store · 1
- the market and mill, anselmo
Super Store · 1
- the grocery kart, broken bow
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 Custer County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Counties near Custer County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Custer County, both outside Nebraska so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NE (44.6% here).
- Los Alamos County, NM · 44.6% low-access
- Woodford County, KY · 44.5% low-access
- Will County, IL · 44.5% low-access
- Navajo County, AZ · 44.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NE (7.8% here).
- Lewis and Clark County, MT · 7.8% SNAP
- Howard County, MO · 7.8% SNAP
- DeKalb County, MO · 7.8% SNAP
- Clinton County, MO · 7.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Nebraska among West North Central states
Nebraska ranks 6th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (21.9%). Custer County, at 44.6%, runs 22.7 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 Custer County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31041. 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.