PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Iowa

Dallas County, IA

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

22.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
5.5%
on SNAP
108K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IA

The food-access picture

22.1% of Dallas County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
2.9%
households, no vehicle
6.3%
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 Dallas County's low-access share at 22.1%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 15 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,599 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,587 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 Dallas County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Dallas County's 22.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,524 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Dallas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Dallas 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 Dallas County, IA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (53.3%) 6 tracts limited (40.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (6.7%) Adequate 53% Limited 40% Severe 7% Food-access tier distribution: Dallas County, IA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Dallas County vs. other Iowa counties

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

% 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 Dallas County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)66,135
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population14,599
Low-Access Share22.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,587

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Dallas County
IndicatorValue
Population107,968
Median Household Income$102,379
Poverty Rate6.3%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,337
SNAP Participation Rate5.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.6%
SNAP participation in Dallas County 5.5%

About 5.5% of Dallas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,337 households here.
  • 2.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Dallas County

above the national share

1 of Dallas County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.7% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 14,599 residents, roughly 22.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,587 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (53.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Dallas County

Dallas County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 35

  • blue jay market, perry
  • casey's 3826, adel
  • casey's 4319, perry
  • casey's 4335, dallas center
  • casey's 5209, de soto
  • casey's 5252, waukee
  • casey's 2559, granger
  • casey's 4269, waukee
  • casey's general store 1493, van meter
  • casey's general store 1680, adel
  • casey's general store 2179, waukee
  • casey's general store 2538, waukee
  • casey's general store 2551, woodward
  • casey's general store 2553, redfield
  • casey's general store 2698, perry
  • casey's general store 2899, de soto
  • casey's general store 3640, waukee
  • caseys general store 0095, dexter
  • hy-vee c store 5873, waukee
  • hy-vee fast and fresh #2 7588, waukee
  • jmc supermarket, perry
  • kwik star 1056, waukee
  • kwik star 1180, perry
  • kwik star 1189, de soto
  • kwik star 1702, clive
  • maverik 5020, waukee
  • maverik 5282, west des moines
  • maverik 5284, waukee
  • maverik 5298, waukee
  • maverik 5364, west des moines
  • mega saver 52, urbandale
  • mega saver 57, adel
  • the baker's pantry, dallas center
  • waukee fast & fresh 7587, waukee
  • west des moines fast & fresh 7590, west des moines

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • dollartree 8604, perry
  • dollar general 16060, de soto
  • dollar general 21196, dallas center
  • dollar general 22448, redfield
  • dollar general 24268, woodward
  • dollar general 7169, perry
  • dollar tree 4256, west des moines
  • dollar tree 4589, waukee
  • family dollar 5428, adel
  • walgreens 07967, clive

Super Store · 10

  • costco wholesale 0788, west des moines
  • fareway stores, inc. 124, adel
  • fareway stores, inc. 233, clive
  • fareway stores, inc. 262, granger
  • fareway stores, inc. 470, perry
  • fareway stores, inc. 989, waukee
  • hy-vee 1873, waukee
  • hy-vee food store 1522, perry
  • hy-vee food and drugstore 1889, west des moines
  • target store t2909, waukee

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • el rey market llc, perry
  • maria grocery, west des moines
  • oasis corporation, perry

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 36, waukee
  • aldi 72040, west des moines
  • trader joe's 721, west des moines

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza ia029, clive

Farmers' Market · 1

  • perry farmers' market, perry

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • mills grocery & liquor, west des moines

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Iowa

Adair County
8.0% low-access · 9.8% SNAP
Adams County
6.4% low-access · 9.5% SNAP
Allamakee County
10.9% low-access · 8.3% SNAP
Appanoose County
15.7% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Audubon County
7.4% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Benton County
17.0% low-access · 4.8% SNAP

Compare Dallas County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →

Food access nationally, Iowa in context

Dallas County sits inside Iowa (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 Dallas County has low food access? ▼
22.1% of residents in Dallas County, IA 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 Dallas County? ▼
5.5% of households in Dallas County receive SNAP, covering 2,337 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Dallas County? ▼
The poverty rate in Dallas County, IA is 6.3%, with a median household income of $102,379 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Dallas County a food desert? ▼
1 of Dallas County's 15 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 Dallas County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.9% of households in Dallas 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.