Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Edwards County, IL
Edwards County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 18.5% low-access.
- 18.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 17.1%
- on SNAP
- 6K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Edwards County, IL
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 18.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.6 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Clay County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Edwards County ranks #1,813 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #63 of 102 counties in IL (18.5% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,813
- national by low-access %
- #63
- in IL
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 514
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Edwards County compares nationally
Edwards County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.5% low-access share that beats 42% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,813).
Edwards County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 3 of Edwards County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Edwards County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint
- Scott
Scott 66.5%
66.5 % low-access
- Lee 18.9
Lee 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Edwards 18.5
Edwards 18.5%
18.5 % low-access
- Clay 18.5
Clay 18.5%
18.5 % low-access
- Clinton 18.5
Clinton 18.5%
18.5 % low-access
- Jo Daviess 17.2
Jo Daviess 17.2%
17.2 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 6,721 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,243 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 514 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,075 |
| Median Household Income | $60,519 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 457 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.3% |
SNAP retailers in Edwards County
Edwards County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 10 authorized stores; Albion holds 40% of them. None of the towns has a supermarket or large/medium grocery on the SNAP list.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Albion | 4 | none |
| Grayville | 3 | none |
| West Salem | 3 | none |
Convenience Store · 5
- albion gas station inc, albion
- casey's general store 1792, west salem
- casey's general store 1943, albion
- casey's general store 2514, grayville
- road ranger 268, grayville
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 4407, albion
- dollar general 17453, west salem
- family dollar 13866, grayville
- family dollar 13954, albion
Farmers' Market · 1
- west salem farmers market ffab, west salem
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Illinois
One of 101 counties in Illinois, 6 are shown here.
Compare Edwards County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Illinois among East North Central states
Illinois ranks 5th of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.2%). Edwards County, at 18.5%, runs 1.7 pts below the Illinois rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Edwards County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17047. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.