County food-access profile · Nebraska
Dawson County, NE
Dawson County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 41.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.2%
- on SNAP
- 24K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
41.3% of Dawson County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.8%
- 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).
Dawson County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 41.3% is well above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 10,054 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,545 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 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 #360 most-affected nationwide.
Dawson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Dawson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Dawson County vs. other Nebraska counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nebraska
- Dawson
Dawson County, NE
41.3 % 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 | 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% |
About 6.2% of Dawson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 41.3% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 571 households here.
- 5.2% 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 Dawson County
well above the national share
1 of Dawson County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 10,054 residents, roughly 41.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,545 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
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.
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 retailers.
Other Counties in Nebraska
Compare Dawson County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Food access nationally, Nebraska in context
Dawson 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 Dawson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dawson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Dawson County? ▼
Is Dawson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Dawson 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.