Signature · 41.3% low-access (89th pct)
Dawson County, NE
Dawson County sits in the upper national band on low-access (41.3%, +19.2 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 41.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.2%
- on SNAP
- 24K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Dawson County, NE
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-SEVERE 41.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +19.2 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 14% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Grant County ( -0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Dawson County sits in the upper national band (41.3%, #357 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #357
- national by low-access %
- #21
- in NE
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 41.3% low-access (89th pct) (+19.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Dawson County compares nationally
Dawson County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 41.3% low-access share outpaces 89% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #357 most-affected nationwide.
Dawson County's elevated USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Dawson County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (4 urban, 3 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 3 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Dawson County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Custer
Custer 44.6%
44.6 % low-access
- Dawson
Dawson 41.3%
41.3 % low-access
- Grant
Grant 41%
41 % low-access
- Loup 39.9
Loup 39.9%
39.9 % low-access
- Cherry 38.8
Cherry 38.8%
38.8 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,326 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,054 |
| Low-Access Share | 41.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,545 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 24,202 |
| Median Household Income | $69,880 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 571 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Dawson County
Dawson County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (35% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 23 authorized stores; Lexington holds 65% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (8 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 15 | 6 |
| Cozad | 5 | 1 |
| Gothenburg | 3 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 8
- casey's 4526, lexington
- casey's general store 1747, lexington
- casey's general store 2068, lexington
- casey's general store 2734, cozad
- kwik store 26, gothenburg
- kwik store 27, cozad
- mac's short stop, lexington
- pump & pantry 32, cozad
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 7522, lexington
- dollar general 7570, gothenburg
- dollar general 8387, cozad
- dollar tree 5739, lexington
- family dollar 3089, lexington
Super Store · 4
- lexington food store 1375, lexington
- plum creek market place, lexington
- sonnys super foods, cozad
- walmart sc 637, lexington
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- african collection food, lexington
- african international food market llc, lexington
- lex friends, lexington
Small Grocery Store · 2
- darndouka halal market llc, lexington
- teresa's tortilla bakery llc 0720268, lexington
Supermarket · 1
- peterson supermarket inc, gothenburg
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 Dawson County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Counties near Dawson County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Dawson 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 (41.3% here).
- Gloucester County, NJ · 41.3% low-access
- Guadalupe County, TX · 41.3% low-access
- Knox County, TN · 41.2% low-access
- Cherokee County, GA · 41.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NE (6.2% here).
- Wake County, NC · 6.2% SNAP
- Cass County, ND · 6.2% SNAP
- Richland County, ND · 6.2% SNAP
- Campbell County, KY · 6.2% 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%). Dawson County, at 41.3%, runs 19.4 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 Dawson County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31047. 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.