County food-access profile · Illinois
Hancock County, IL
Hancock County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 43.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 13.3%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
43.2% of Hancock County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.3%
- 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).
Hancock County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 43.2% is well above the national share. 3 of the county's 7 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 8,255 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,697 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 Hancock County compares nationally
Hancock County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 43.2% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #312 most-affected nationwide.
Hancock County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Hancock County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Hancock County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Hancock
Hancock County, IL
43.2 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,104 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,255 |
| Low-Access Share | 43.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,697 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,281 |
| Median Household Income | $65,865 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,010 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 13.3% of Hancock County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 43.2% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,010 households here.
- 5.4% 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 Hancock County
well above the national share
3 of Hancock County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 42.9% of all its tracts.
An estimated 8,255 residents, roughly 43.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,697 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Hancock County
Hancock County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- augusta quick stop, augusta
- ayerco convenience center 23, carthage
- ayerco convenience center 24, hamilton
- bowen store, bowen
- casey's general store 1637, dallas city
- casey's general store 1842, hamilton
- casey's general store 2027, la harpe
- casey's general store 2542, warsaw
- casey's general store 2547, carthage
- caseys general store 1135, nauvoo
- circle k 4701221, carthage
- rhodes mini mart, plymouth
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 18568, dallas city
- dollar general 18871, warsaw
- dollar general 19781, nauvoo
- dollar general 8297, la harpe
- dollar general 12071, hamilton
- dollar general 25966, augusta
- dollar general 9157, carthage
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- carthage quality meats, carthage
Super Store · 1
- county market 287, carthage
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Hancock County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Hancock County sits inside Illinois (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Hancock County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Hancock County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Hancock County? ▼
Is Hancock County a food desert? ▼
What share of Hancock County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.