PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Franklin County, IL

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Franklin 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).

21.0%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
25.8%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

21.0% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.3%
households, no vehicle
17.5%
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).

USDA data puts Franklin County's low-access share at 21.0%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,303 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,178 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 Franklin County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Franklin County's 21.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 49% of them and ranked #1,603 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Franklin 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 Franklin County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (66.7%) 1 tracts limited (8.3%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 67% Limited 8% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Franklin County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Franklin County vs. other Illinois counties

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

% 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 Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,561
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population8,303
Low-Access Share21.0%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,178

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Population37,323
Median Household Income$56,740
Poverty Rate17.5%above the national average
SNAP Households4,171
SNAP Participation Rate25.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Franklin County 25.8%

About 25.8% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 25.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,171 households here.
  • 6.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Franklin County

above the national share

3 of Franklin County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 8,303 residents, roughly 21.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,178 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Franklin County

Franklin County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • bp benton, benton
  • casey's general store 1633, royalton
  • casey's general store 1909, w frankfort
  • casey's general store 1968, benton
  • casey's general store 2040, w frankfort
  • casey's general store 2053, sesser
  • casey's general store 2059, christopher
  • casey's general store 2388, zeigler
  • casey's general store 3542, west city
  • circle k 1336, west frankfort
  • circle k 4701223, benton
  • circle k 4701335, benton
  • circle k 4701351, christopher
  • farm fresh, benton
  • farm fresh no, west frankfort
  • huck's 104, west frankfort
  • huck's 114, christopher
  • huck's 200, benton
  • jay khodal inc, whittington
  • mach 1 12, west frankfort
  • mach 1 3, benton
  • marathon, zeigler
  • murphy usa 6957, west city
  • nifty swifty, west frankfort
  • payne service center inc, thompsonville

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs 6372, benton
  • cvs 6373, west frankfort
  • dollar general 1081, christopher
  • dollar general 18361, west frankfort
  • dollar general 7890, west frankfort
  • dollar general 7968, benton
  • dollar general 8772, royalton
  • dollar general 15685, thompsonville
  • dollar general 16283, benton
  • dollar general 21409, zeigler
  • dollar general 22811, benton
  • dollar general 24960, benton
  • dollar general 31092, christopher
  • dollar general 4576, sesser
  • dollar tree 1777, west frankfort
  • dollar tree 4905, benton

Super Store · 2

  • kroger l-687 687, w frankfort
  • walmart supercenter 262, benton

Supermarket · 2

  • benton save a lot 22738, benton
  • mccord's market, west frankfort

Farmers' Market · 1

  • benton farmers market, benton

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • christopher bowlin's food-land, christopher

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • foodland inc., sesser

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Franklin County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Franklin County sits inside Illinois (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 Franklin County has low food access? ▼
21.0% of residents in Franklin County, IL 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 Franklin County? ▼
25.8% of households in Franklin County receive SNAP, covering 4,171 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Franklin County, IL is 17.5%, with a median household income of $56,740 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
3 of Franklin County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Franklin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.3% of households in Franklin 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.