Signature · 35.3% low-access (81st pct)
Custer County, SD
Custer County sits in the upper national band on low-access (35.3%, +13.2 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 35.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.6%
- on SNAP
- 9K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Custer County, SD
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 35.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +13.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 0.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Roberts County (+ 0.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Custer County sits in the upper national band (35.3%, #576 of 3,079).
- #576
- national by low-access %
- #31
- in SD
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 627
- 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: 35.3% low-access (81st pct) (+13.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Custer County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Custer County's 35.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #576 most-affected nationwide.
Custer County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 2 of Custer County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Custer County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in South Dakota, not a full county-board reprint
- Jones
Jones 100%
100 % low-access
- Corson 36.1
Corson 36.1%
36.1 % low-access
- Custer 35.3
Custer 35.3%
35.3 % low-access
- Roberts 35.3
Roberts 35.3%
35.3 % low-access
- Hughes 34.8
Hughes 34.8%
34.8 % low-access
- Fall River 34.1
Fall River 34.1%
34.1 % low-access
- Oglala Lakota 0
Oglala Lakota 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 8,216 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,897 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 627 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,892 |
| Median Household Income | $84,112 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 204 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 0.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
SNAP retailers in Custer County
Custer County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 9 authorized stores; Custer holds 78% of them. 2 of the 3 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Edgemont, Hermosa.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Custer | 7 | 2 |
| Edgemont | 1 | none |
| Hermosa | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 5
- big d oil 10, custer
- common cents food store 140, custer
- flying j hermosa, hermosa
- yesway 1173, custer
- yesway 1175, edgemont
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 18364, custer
- family dollar 7144, custer
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- wild spruce market, custer
Super Store · 1
- lynns dakotamart, custer
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in South Dakota
One of 65 counties in South Dakota, 6 are shown here.
Compare Custer County vs Aurora County → · All South Dakota counties →
South Dakota among West North Central states
South Dakota ranks 1st of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (29.1%). Custer County, at 35.3%, runs 6.2 pts above the South Dakota 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, SD are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 46033. 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.