Signature · 1 LILA tracts (20% of tracts)
Ford County, IL
Ford County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (20% of the book) alongside 23.9% low-access.
- 23.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.4%
- on SNAP
- 13K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ford County, IL
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 23.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.8 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.4% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 9.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pike County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Ford County ranks #1,370 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #44 of 102 counties in IL (23.9% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,370
- national by low-access %
- #44
- in IL
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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 (20% of tracts) .
How Ford County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ford County's 23.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,370 most-affected nationwide.
Ford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Ford County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Ford County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint
- Scott
Scott 66.5%
66.5 % low-access
- Ford 23.9
Ford 23.9%
23.9 % low-access
- Pike 23.8
Pike 23.8%
23.8 % low-access
- Perry 23
Perry 23%
23 % low-access
- Lawrence 22.9
Lawrence 22.9%
22.9 % low-access
- Vermilion 22.9
Vermilion 22.9%
22.9 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 14,081 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,370 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.9%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,094 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,406 |
| Median Household Income | $62,439 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 842 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.1%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
SNAP retailers in Ford County
Ford County has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 12 authorized stores; Paxton holds 42% of them. 3 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Piper City, Rankin, Roberts.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Paxton | 5 | 1 |
| Gibson City | 4 | 1 |
| Piper City | 1 | none |
| Rankin | 1 | none |
| Roberts | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 6
- casey's general store 1811, gibson city
- casey's general store 2025, paxton
- casey's general store 2928, gibson city
- casey's general store 2929, paxton
- roberts quick stop 2, roberts
- village pantry 5209, paxton
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 2585, gibson city
- dollar general 25601, rankin
- dollar general 3843, paxton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- piper city conv store inc 1, piper city
Super Store · 1
- county market 154, gibson city
Supermarket · 1
- kirby foods paxton 400, paxton
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 Ford County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Nationwide peers for Ford County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Ford County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IL (23.9% here).
- Ford County, KS · 23.9% low-access
- Otero County, NM · 23.9% low-access
- Putnam County, OH · 23.9% low-access
- Hood County, TX · 23.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (14.4% here).
- Crawford County, GA · 14.4% SNAP
- Mecosta County, MI · 14.4% SNAP
- Koochiching County, MN · 14.4% SNAP
- Los Angeles County, CA · 14.4% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Illinois among East North Central states
Illinois ranks 5th of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.2%). Ford County, at 23.9%, runs 3.7 pts above 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 Ford County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17053. 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.