County food-access profile · Nebraska
Dakota County, NE
Dakota County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 16.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.0%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.2% of Dakota County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 4 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 4.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.5%
- 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).
Dakota County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 4 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,405 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,037 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 Dakota County compares nationally
Dakota County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.2% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,016).
Dakota County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 4 census tracts in Dakota County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Dakota County vs. other Nebraska counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nebraska
- Dakota 16.2
Dakota County, NE
16.2 % low-access
- Adams 35
Adams County, NE
35 % low-access
- Antelope 12.9
Antelope County, NE
12.9 % low-access
- Arthur
Arthur County, NE
100 % low-access
- Banner
Banner County, NE
98.5 % low-access
- Blaine
Blaine County, NE
100 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,006 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,405 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,037 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,354 |
| Median Household Income | $70,329 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 743 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
About 10.0% of Dakota County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 743 households here.
- 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Dakota County
near the national share
2 of Dakota County's 4 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 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 3,405 residents, roughly 16.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,037 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Dakota County
Dakota County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (32% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 21075, dakota city
- dollar general 9152, south sioux city
- dollar tree 3213, south sioux city
- family dollar 6088, south sioux city
- laos asian market, south sioux city
- salam restaurant & grocery 1, south sioux city
- walgreens 10502, south sioux city
Convenience Store · 6
- casey's general store 2722, south sioux city
- dakota food & fuel, dakota city
- hy-vee gas 5620, south sioux city
- maverik 5252, south sioux city
- pump & pantry 53, jackson
- speed mart, south sioux city
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- banadir coffee halal & grocery, south sioux city
- post 60 market, emerson
- seoul foods, south sioux city
- suxfresco, south sioux city
Large Grocery Store · 2
- el mexicano 5 inc, south sioux city
- marias supermarket, south sioux city
Super Store · 2
- hy-vee food store 1620, south sioux city
- walmart sc 1332, south sioux city
Small Grocery Store · 1
- old barrel grocery & liquor, south sioux city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Nebraska
Compare Dakota County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Food access nationally, Nebraska in context
Dakota County sits inside Nebraska (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 Dakota County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dakota County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Dakota County? ▼
Is Dakota County a food desert? ▼
What share of Dakota 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.