County food-access profile · Indiana
Delaware County, IN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Delaware 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).
- 34.0%
- low-access pop.
- 12
- food-desert tracts
- 14.2%
- on SNAP
- 112K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.0% of Delaware County residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
- 7.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.6%
- 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 Delaware County's low-access share at 34.0%, above the national share. 17 of the county's 30 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 40,048 people. 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 15,103 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 Delaware County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Delaware County's 34.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #670 most-affected nationwide.
Delaware County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 30 census tracts in Delaware County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Delaware County vs. other Indiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Indiana
- Delaware
Delaware County, IN
34 % 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 | 30 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 117,671 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 12 |
| Low-Access Population | 40,048 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 15,103 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 112,280 |
| Median Household Income | $58,127 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.6%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,562 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.0% |
About 14.2% of Delaware County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,562 households here.
- 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 12 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 Delaware County
above the national share
12 of Delaware County's 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 17.
An estimated 40,048 residents, roughly 34.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 15,103 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 13 tracts (43.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Delaware County
Delaware County has 112 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 61 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 61
- 300 petro llc, muncie
- ball state mart llc, muncie
- casey's 3709, yorktown
- cardinals fuel inc, muncie
- casey's 4564, albany
- daleville marathon, daleville
- daleville shell 107, daleville
- eaton pantry #004, eaton
- fateh petroleum inc, muncie
- gasamerica 8086, muncie
- gmj food mart inc, muncie
- godman ave c store, muncie
- gurhar inc, muncie
- hacks mart, muncie
- hd petroleum inc, muncie
- hoosier pantry, muncie
- jackson petroleum llc, muncie
- johnson's amoco 1, gaston
- madison food mart 1 0, muncie
- madison street stop n go, muncie
- mcclure oil 44, muncie
- mcgalliard food center, muncie
- md oil inc, muncie
- meijer gas station 139, muncie
- memorial bp, muncie
- mike food mart inc, muncie
- mr mart inc, muncie
- msb95 inc, muncie
- mt pleasant grocery, muncie
- mu24 inc, muncie
- muncie common market, muncie
- muncie fast lane 171, muncie
- muncie mini food, muncie
- niv mart llc, muncie
- p.o.p shop, muncie
- phillips food mart, muncie
- pilot travel center 28, daleville
- pilot travel center 446, daleville
- quiktrip 7272, daleville
- rickers 7526, yorktown
- s & g petroleum inc, muncie
- sunny & jugad food mart inc, muncie
- sk21 inc, muncie
- speedway 5005, muncie
- speedway 5208, muncie
- speedway 6043, muncie
- speedway 8039, daleville
- speedway 8069, muncie
- speedway 8078, yorktown
- swamishree llc, yorktown
- village pantry 5390, muncie
- village pantry 5393, muncie
- village pantry 5515, muncie
- village pantry 5524, muncie
- village pantry 5566, muncie
- village pantry 5582, albany
- village pantry 5596, muncie
- village pantry 5632, muncie
- wawa store 7409, daleville
- white river petroleum llc, muncie
- yorktown mart inc, yorktown
Combination Grocery/Other · 30
- cvs 6616, muncie
- cvs 6623, muncie
- dollar general 19037, muncie
- dollar general 19828, muncie
- dollar general 3755, muncie
- dollar general 4924, muncie
- dollar tree 0611, muncie
- dollartree 10461, albany
- dollartree 9919, muncie
- dollar general 10621, albany
- dollar general 10947, muncie
- dollar general 11329, muncie
- dollar general 11722, muncie
- dollar general 12448, gaston
- dollar general 15256, eaton
- dollar general 1548, yorktown
- dollar general 16480, muncie
- dollar general 16910, muncie
- dollar general 20775, muncie
- dollar general 21519, muncie
- dollar general 21899, daleville
- dollar general 31085, selma
- dollar tree 3926, muncie
- dollar tree 8277, muncie
- family dollar store 1008, muncie
- family dollar store 11255, muncie
- family dollar store 5326, muncie
- walgreens 5802, muncie
- walgreens 5803, muncie
- walgreens 10533, muncie
Super Store · 8
- fresh thyme market 214mun, muncie
- meijer inc 139, muncie
- payless 336, muncie
- payless 338, muncie
- ruler 263, muncie
- target store 1530, muncie
- walmart supercenter 1665, muncie
- walmart supercenter 3747, muncie
Farmers' Market · 3
- albany in farmers market, llc, albany
- minnetrista farmers market, muncie
- yorktown farm and artisan market, yorktown
Large Grocery Store · 3
- amj supermarket incorporated, albany
- fisher meats, inc., muncie
- lahody meats, muncie
Small Grocery Store · 3
- 3 hermanos super market, muncie
- muncie market inc, muncie
- the downtown farm stand, muncie
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 44006 44006, muncie
- aldi 44054 44054, muncie
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza in009, muncie
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- jaser food market inc, muncie
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Indiana
Compare Delaware County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →
Food access nationally, Indiana in context
Delaware 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 Delaware County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Delaware County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Delaware County? ▼
Is Delaware County a food desert? ▼
What share of Delaware 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.