Signature · 8.6% low-access (17th pct)
Hardin County, IA
Hardin County lands in the lower national band on low-access (8.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 8.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.4%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hardin County, IA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 8.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -13.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Johnson County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Hardin County lands in the lower national band (8.6%, #2,588 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,588
- national by low-access %
- #82
- in IA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 420
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 8.6% low-access (17th pct) (-13.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Hardin County compares nationally
Hardin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.6% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,588).
Hardin County's lower-band USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Hardin County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Hardin County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Carroll 8.9
Carroll 8.9%
8.9 % low-access
- Monroe 8.9
Monroe 8.9%
8.9 % low-access
- Hardin 8.6
Hardin 8.6%
8.6 % low-access
- Johnson 8.6
Johnson 8.6%
8.6 % low-access
- Dickinson 8.4
Dickinson 8.4%
8.4 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,534 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,504 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 420 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,639 |
| Median Household Income | $65,069 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 588 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.0% |
SNAP retailers in Hardin County
Hardin County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 22 authorized stores; Iowa Falls holds 45% of them. 3 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Ackley, Alden, Radcliffe.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa Falls | 10 | 3 |
| Eldora | 5 | 2 |
| Hubbard | 3 | 1 |
| Ackley | 2 | none |
| Alden | 1 | none |
| Radcliffe | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 10
- casey's general store 1417, iowa falls
- casey's general store 1455, hubbard
- casey's general store 1793, iowa falls
- casey's general store 1921, ackley
- casey's general store 2532, eldora
- casey's general store 3027, iowa falls
- caseys general store 20, alden
- comart convenience store, radcliffe
- goodstop by casey's 4313, eldora
- kwik star 103, iowa falls
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 18911, ackley
- dollar general 2358, iowa falls
- dollar general 25679, hubbard
- dollar general 6690, eldora
- dollar tree 7303, iowa falls
Super Store · 5
- fareway stores, inc. 559, iowa falls
- fareway stores, inc. 882, eldora
- hy-vee food store 1161, eldora
- hy-vee food store 1295, iowa falls
- walmart 1546, iowa falls
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- hometown foods, hubbard
Small Grocery Store · 1
- la flor mexican store 1, iowa falls
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 Hardin County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Counties near Hardin County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hardin 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 (8.6% here).
- Knox County, IN · 8.6% low-access
- Dixie County, FL · 8.6% low-access
- Monroe County, MS · 8.6% low-access
- Walker County, AL · 8.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (8.4% here).
- Jo Daviess County, IL · 8.4% SNAP
- Hancock County, ME · 8.4% SNAP
- Meeker County, MN · 8.4% SNAP
- Pulaski County, MO · 8.4% 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.
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Hardin County, at 8.6%, runs 11.4 pts below the Iowa rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
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 Hardin County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19083. 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.