PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Indiana

Hancock County, IN

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

36.1%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
4.5%
on SNAP
84K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IN

The food-access picture

36.1% of Hancock County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
3.0%
households, no vehicle
4.7%
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 Hancock County's low-access share at 36.1%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 25,287 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,917 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

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hancock County's 36.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #551 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hancock County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 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).

Food access tier distribution for Hancock County, IN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (40.0%) 4 tracts limited (40.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 40% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Hancock County, IN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hancock 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 Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)70,002
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population25,287
Low-Access Share36.1%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,917

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Population84,037
Median Household Income$93,186
Poverty Rate4.7%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,517
SNAP Participation Rate4.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%
SNAP participation in Hancock County 4.5%

About 4.5% of Hancock County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 36.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 4.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,517 households here.
  • 3.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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

above the national share

2 of Hancock County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 25,287 residents, roughly 36.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,917 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hancock County

Hancock County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 29

  • casey's general store 2324, greenfield
  • circle k 2286, greenfield
  • circle k 4700009, greenfield
  • circle k 4702367, greenfield
  • circle k 4702427, greenfield
  • family express 78, mccordsville
  • huck's 298, fortville
  • ks food mart inc, indianapolis
  • leo's market and eatery 02, greenfield
  • leo's market and eatery, llc 04, mccordsville
  • lukes 216, merrillville
  • meijer gas station 296, mccordsville
  • mom & pop's mini mart, maxwell
  • murphy usa 6865, greenfield
  • pilot travel center 30, greenfield
  • racetrac 2633, greenfield
  • rickers 7529, new palestine
  • shell mart, indianapolis
  • speedway 8042, fortville
  • speedway 8045, greenfield
  • speedway 8046, greenfield
  • speedway 8047, greenfield
  • speedway 8048, greenfield
  • speedway 8049, greenfield
  • speedway 8050, greenfield
  • speedway 8067, mccordsville
  • speedway 8070, new palestine
  • village pantry 5631, greenfield
  • wawa store 7400, greenfield

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs 4633, greenfield
  • cvs 6599, fortville
  • cvs pharmacy 6608, new palestine
  • cvs pharmacy 7541, mc cordsville
  • dollar general 2975, greenfield
  • dollar general 3075, fortville
  • dollar general 12657, greenfield
  • dollar general store 12571, wilkinson
  • dollar general store 17409, greenfield
  • dollar general` 22908, greenfield
  • dollar tree 3005, greenfield
  • family dollar store 5272, greenfield
  • walgreens 07174, greenfield

Super Store · 4

  • kroger j-952, greenfield
  • meijer 296, mccordsville
  • needler's fresh market 921, new palestine
  • walmart supercenter 1141, greenfield

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • sabzi mandi 1, mccordsville
  • stroughs super market, fortville

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza in007, greenfield

Farmers' Market · 1

  • farmers market at the fairground, greenfield

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • david's meat market, greenfield

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 44015 44015, greenfield

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 Hancock County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →

Food access nationally, Indiana in context

Hancock 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 Hancock County has low food access? ▼
36.1% of residents in Hancock 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 Hancock County? ▼
4.5% of households in Hancock County receive SNAP, covering 1,517 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hancock County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hancock County, IN is 4.7%, with a median household income of $93,186 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hancock County a food desert? ▼
2 of Hancock County's 10 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 Hancock County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.0% of households in Hancock 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.