PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Indiana

Gibson County, IN

Most of Gibson County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

4.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
8.2%
on SNAP
33K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IN

The food-access picture

4.6% of Gibson County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

2
low-access tracts
539
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
10.8%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Gibson County fares better than most: just 4.6% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 7 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,535 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Gibson County compares nationally

Food access in Gibson County compares favorably nationally: its 4.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,834).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Gibson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Gibson 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 Gibson County, IN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (71.4%) 2 tracts limited (28.6%) Adequate 71% Limited 29% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Gibson County, IN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Gibson 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 Gibson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,503
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population1,535
Low-Access Share4.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population539

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Gibson County
IndicatorValue
Population33,000
Median Household Income$67,573
Poverty Rate10.8%below the national average
SNAP Households1,096
SNAP Participation Rate8.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Gibson County 8.2%

About 8.2% of Gibson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 4.6% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,096 households here.
  • 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $67,573 with a 10.8% 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 Gibson County

below the national share

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 1,535 residents, roughly 4.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 539 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Gibson County

Gibson County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • casey's general store 2438, princeton
  • casey's general store 3021, fort branch
  • circle j, francisco
  • fastbreak 1, fort branch
  • fastbreak convenience store 2, princeton
  • fastbreak convenience store 4, princeton
  • giant 808, princeton
  • huck's 323, ft. branch
  • love's travel stop 414, haubstadt
  • om mart, princeton
  • pick-n-pump, oakland city
  • pilot travel center 447, haubstadt
  • pilot travel center 647, haubstadt
  • sam food mart 1, princeton
  • sunrise haubstadt 837, haubstadt
  • trade mart, patoka
  • varahi swami two food mart llc, oakland city

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs 6876, princeton
  • dollar general 1156, princeton
  • dollar general 1598, oakland city
  • dollar general 6089, haubstadt
  • dollar general 8658, owensville
  • dollar general 14540, fort branch
  • dollar general 21969, patoka
  • dollar general 22221, princeton
  • dollar general 23137, francisco
  • dollar general store 16414, princeton
  • dollar tree 4041, princeton
  • family dollar 12993, oakland city
  • walgreens 11882, princeton

Super Store · 4

  • hometown iga 451, princeton
  • hometown iga 461, oakland city
  • ruler food store 232, princeton
  • walmart supercenter 1783, princeton

Supermarket · 3

  • dewig bros packing co, haubstadt
  • holiday foods 8, haubstadt
  • save a lot 142, princeton

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • berry's produce and country market, princeton

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 Gibson County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →

Food access nationally, Indiana in context

Gibson 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 Gibson County has low food access? ▼
4.6% of residents in Gibson 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 Gibson County? ▼
8.2% of households in Gibson County receive SNAP, covering 1,096 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Gibson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Gibson County, IN is 10.8%, with a median household income of $67,573 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Gibson County a food desert? ▼
0 of Gibson 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 Gibson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Gibson 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.