County food-access profile · Illinois
Douglas County, IL
Douglas County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 11.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.4%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.8% of Douglas County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 740
- food-desert residents
- 10.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.5%
- 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).
Douglas County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.8% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,358 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 740 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 Douglas County compares nationally
Douglas County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.8% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,360).
Douglas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Douglas County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Douglas County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Douglas 11.8
Douglas County, IL
11.8 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,980 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,358 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 740 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,751 |
| Median Household Income | $77,320 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 965 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.8%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 12.4% of Douglas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 965 households here.
- 10.8% 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 Douglas County
near the national share
1 of Douglas County's 5 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 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 2,358 residents, roughly 11.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 740 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Douglas County
Douglas County has 25 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- c & c's one stop, newman
- casey's general store 1473, atwood
- casey's general store 1525, tuscola
- casey's general store 1971, arcola
- casey's general store 2022, villa grove
- circle k 4701435, villa grove
- fuel mart 787, tuscola
- jack flash arcola 703, arcola
- jack flash-arthur 602, arthur
- lambos 5, tuscola
- love's travel stop 798, tuscola
- road ranger 139, tuscola
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 19379, newman
- dollar general 2722, villa grove
- dollar general 4618, arcola
- dollar general 4729, arthur
- dollar general 1127, tuscola
- dollar general 19600, atwood
- dutch valley meats inc., arthur
Supermarket · 4
- arthur iga 64, arthur
- beachys bulk foods 001, arthur
- country salvage, arcola
- kirby foods - tuscola 44, tuscola
Large Grocery Store · 1
- rick's country market, villa grove
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- arcola hispanic & american grocery, arcola
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Douglas County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Douglas County sits inside Illinois (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 Douglas County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Douglas County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Douglas County? ▼
Is Douglas County a food desert? ▼
What share of Douglas 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.