County food-access profile · Indiana
Dearborn County, IN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Dearborn 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).
- 34.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 7.7%
- on SNAP
- 51K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.2% of Dearborn County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 4.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.6%
- 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 Dearborn County's low-access share at 34.2%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 17,131 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,143 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 Dearborn County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Dearborn County's 34.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #656 most-affected nationwide.
Dearborn County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Dearborn County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Dearborn County vs. other Indiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Indiana
- Dearborn
Dearborn County, IN
34.2 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, IN
17.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, IN
37.8 % low-access
- Bartholomew
Bartholomew County, IN
36.4 % low-access
- Benton 1.7
Benton County, IN
1.7 % low-access
- Blackford
Blackford County, IN
15.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 50,047 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 17,131 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,143 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 51,094 |
| Median Household Income | $84,735 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,571 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 7.7% of Dearborn County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,571 households here.
- 4.1% 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 Dearborn County
above the national share
2 of Dearborn County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 17,131 residents, roughly 34.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,143 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Dearborn County
Dearborn County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 14
- aurora marketplace, aurora
- bp 90, west harrison
- circle k 4702227, lawrenceburg
- dillsboro bp, dillsboro
- druv corporation, aurora
- jay oil inc - manchester food mart, aurora
- ludlow hill supermarket, lawrenceburg
- moores hill food mart, moores hill
- river city sinclair, aurora
- road dog 2, aurora
- road dog drive thru 1, aurora
- speedway 9638, lawrenceburg
- st. leon amoco 91, west harrison
- yash indiana llc dba bright market, lawrenceburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- cvs 6077, aurora
- cvs 6078, lawrenceburg
- dollar general 10016, dillsboro
- dollar general 13276, lawrenceburg
- dollar general 19829, aurora
- dollar general 21966, aurora
- dollar general store 16376, lawrenceburg
- dollar tree 7105, lawrenceburg
- united dairy farmers 150, lawrenceburg
- united dairy farmers 186, lawrenceburg
- walgreens 09359, greendale
- walgreens 09751, aurora
Super Store · 2
- kroger 361, lawrenceburg
- walmart 1160, aurora
Large Grocery Store · 1
- dillsboro family market 1, dillsboro
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 44026 44026, aurora
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Indiana
Compare Dearborn County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →
Food access nationally, Indiana in context
Dearborn County sits inside Indiana (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 Dearborn County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dearborn County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Dearborn County? ▼
Is Dearborn County a food desert? ▼
What share of Dearborn 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.