PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Indiana

Dubois County, IN

Dubois 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.

19.8%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
4.2%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IN

The food-access picture

19.8% of Dubois County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
11.0%
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).

Dubois County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.8% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,305 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Dubois County compares nationally

Dubois County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.8% low-access share that beats 46% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,699).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Dubois County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Dubois County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Dubois County, IN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (57.1%) 3 tracts limited (42.9%) Adequate 57% Limited 43% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Dubois County, IN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Dubois County vs. other Indiana counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Indiana

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Dubois County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,889
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population8,305
Low-Access Share19.8%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,532

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Dubois County
IndicatorValue
Population43,614
Median Household Income$75,979
Poverty Rate11.0%below the national average
SNAP Households746
SNAP Participation Rate4.2%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Dubois County 4.2%

About 4.2% of Dubois County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 4.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 746 households here.
  • 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $75,979 with a 11.0% poverty rate.

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 Dubois County

near the national share

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 8,305 residents, roughly 19.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,532 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Dubois County

Dubois County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (35% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 16

  • birdseye sunoco 61, birdseye
  • casey's general store 2385, huntingburg
  • casey's general store 3504, ferdinand
  • celestine sunoco 57, celestine
  • ferdinand-interstate sunoco 60, ferdinand
  • ferdinand-town sunoco 59, ferdinand
  • giant 820, jasper
  • giant 821, dubois
  • haysville sunoco 54, jasper
  • holland sales & service inc, holland
  • huck's 286, jasper
  • huck's 339, huntingburg
  • huck's 350, jasper
  • lube way shell 56, jasper
  • newton st. sunoco 55, jasper
  • st. anthony sunoco 58, saint anthony

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs 6871, ferdinand
  • cvs 6878, jasper
  • cvs 6881, huntingburg
  • dollar general 18995, huntingburg
  • dollar general 2144, huntingburg
  • dollar general 7817, ferdinand
  • dollar general 22655, schnellville
  • dollar general 24064, huntingburg
  • dollar general 2743, jasper
  • dollar general 31481, holland
  • dollar general 4509, jasper
  • dollar tree 1349, jasper
  • family dollar 11267, birdseye
  • sander processing, celestine
  • walgreens 10340, jasper

Super Store · 7

  • holiday foods 5, jasper
  • hometown iga 450, jasper
  • hometown iga 460, huntingburg
  • mor for less, huntingburg
  • ruler 261, jasper
  • schnucks 331, jasper
  • walmart supercenter 870, jasper

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • merkley & sons pkg co, jasper
  • sander family meat market, saint anthony

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • grounded organic & natural foods, jasper
  • tienda latina llc, jasper

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • mi pais market, huntingburg
  • tienda moroleon, jasper

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • holiday foods 7, dale

Supermarket · 1

  • holiday foods 3, ferdinand

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Indiana

Adams County
17.5% low-access · 6.6% SNAP
Allen County
37.8% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Bartholomew County
36.4% low-access · 7.4% SNAP
Benton County
1.7% low-access · 11.7% SNAP
Blackford County
15.2% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Boone County
17.9% low-access · 3.7% SNAP

Compare Dubois County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →

Food access nationally, Indiana in context

Dubois County sits inside Indiana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Dubois County has low food access? ▼
19.8% of residents in Dubois County, IN live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dubois County? ▼
4.2% of households in Dubois County receive SNAP, covering 746 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Dubois County? ▼
The poverty rate in Dubois County, IN is 11.0%, with a median household income of $75,979 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Dubois County a food desert? ▼
0 of Dubois County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Dubois County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% of households in Dubois County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.