Signature · 9.6% low-access (20th pct)

Hancock County, IA

Hancock County lands in the lower national band on low-access (9.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

9.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
6.5%
on SNAP
11K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IA

USDA FARA access plate

County Hancock County, IA

LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR

  • LA-MODERATE 9.6% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -12.5 pts vs US
  • LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-LIGHT 6.5% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 5.1% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Decatur County (+ 0.3 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Hancock County lands in the lower national band (9.6%, #2,512 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,512
national by low-access %
#77
in IA
1
low-access tracts
393
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 9.6% low-access (20th pct) (-12.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).

How Hancock County compares nationally

Hancock County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.6% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,517).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hancock County's lower-band USDA tier split

4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .

Food access tier distribution for Hancock County, IA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 4 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (75.0%) 1 tracts limited (25.0%) Adequate 75% Limited 25% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Hancock County, IA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Hancock County has 0 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Hancock County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint

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

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts4
Atlas Population (2010 basis)11,341
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population1,093
Low-Access Share9.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population393

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Population10,671
Median Household Income$70,601
Poverty Rate12.2%below the national average
SNAP Households306
SNAP Participation Rate6.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%

SNAP retailers in Hancock County

Hancock County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 6

  • casey's general store 3031, garner
  • casey's general store 3043, britt
  • casey's general store 3476, forest city
  • kwik star 920, garner
  • sanchez grocery llc, corwith
  • yesway 1036, kanawha

Combination Grocery/Other · 2

  • dollar general 10470, garner
  • dollar general 4565, britt

Super Store · 1

  • hy-vee 1218, garner

Supermarket · 1

  • britt food center, britt

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Iowa

One of 98 counties in Iowa, 6 are shown here.

Compare Hancock County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →

Counties near Hancock County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hancock County, both outside Iowa so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside IA (9.6% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (6.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Hancock County inside a lower low-access state context

Hancock County sits inside Iowa (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

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

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 Hancock County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19081. 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.