Signature · 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts)
Hancock County, IL
Hancock County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of the book) alongside 43.2% low-access.
- 43.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 13.3%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hancock County, IL
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 43.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +21.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 43% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: McHenry County (+ 1.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Hancock County sits in the upper national band (43.2%, #311 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #311
- national by low-access %
- #7
- in IL
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts) .
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 #311 most-affected nationwide.
Hancock County's elevated USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Hancock County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Hancock County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint
- Scott
Scott 66.5%
66.5 % low-access
- Will
Will 44.5%
44.5 % low-access
- McHenry
McHenry 44.3%
44.3 % low-access
- Hancock
Hancock 43.2%
43.2 % low-access
- Edgar
Edgar 41.9%
41.9 % low-access
- Madison
Madison 41.8%
41.8 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| 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% |
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
9 towns share the 21 authorized stores; Carthage holds 29% of them. 8 of the 9 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Hamilton, Augusta, Dallas City, La Harpe, Nauvoo, Warsaw and 2 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Carthage | 6 | 1 |
| Hamilton | 3 | none |
| Augusta | 2 | none |
| Dallas City | 2 | none |
| La Harpe | 2 | none |
| Nauvoo | 2 | none |
| Warsaw | 2 | none |
| Bowen | 1 | none |
| Plymouth | 1 | none |
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 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 Hancock County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Counties near Hancock County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hancock 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 (43.2% here).
- Willacy County, TX · 43.2% low-access
- Radford city, VA · 43.3% low-access
- Douglas County, GA · 43.0% low-access
- Muskegon County, MI · 43.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (13.3% here).
- Appanoose County, IA · 13.3% SNAP
- Hillsborough County, FL · 13.3% SNAP
- Iron County, MI · 13.3% SNAP
- St. Clair County, MI · 13.3% 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%). Hancock County, at 43.2%, runs 23.0 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 Hancock County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17067. 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.