PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Henry County, IL

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

31.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
13.3%
on SNAP
49K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

31.4% of Henry County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
6.6%
households, no vehicle
8.9%
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 Henry County's low-access share at 31.4%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,856 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,626 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 Henry County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Henry County's 31.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #854 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Henry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Henry 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 Henry County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (53.8%) 4 tracts limited (30.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (15.4%) Adequate 54% Limited 31% Severe 15% Food-access tier distribution: Henry County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Henry County vs. other Illinois counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois

% 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 Henry County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)50,486
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population15,856
Low-Access Share31.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,626

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Henry County
IndicatorValue
Population48,643
Median Household Income$71,911
Poverty Rate8.9%below the national average
SNAP Households2,696
SNAP Participation Rate13.3%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Henry County 13.3%

About 13.3% of Henry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 31.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,696 households here.
  • 6.6% 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 Henry County

above the national share

2 of Henry County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.4% 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 15,856 residents, roughly 31.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,626 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (53.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Henry County

Henry County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 28 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 28

  • 7-eleven, inc. 34463j, colona
  • annawan gas mart no, annawan
  • beck's 16, kewanee
  • beck's 17, kewanee
  • beck's 26, geneseo
  • bg mini mart, inc, colona
  • casey's 3278, geneseo
  • casey's general store 1086, andover
  • casey's general store 1323, atkinson
  • casey's general store 1819, kewanee
  • casey's general store 2313, geneseo
  • casey's general store 2660, galva
  • casey's general store 2673, orion
  • express lane gas & food mart 21, kewanee
  • express lane gas & food mart 45, colona
  • express lane gas & food mart 82, cambridge
  • expresslane 69, annawan
  • galva shop & go, galva
  • homecity express, geneseo
  • hometown express #2, galva
  • hometown express #5, geneseo
  • kwik shop, cambridge
  • love's travel stop 766, atkinson
  • minimart, geneseo
  • nosh good mood food, geneseo
  • one stop food & gas mart, kewanee
  • pilot travel center 476, woodhull
  • woodhull bp, woodhull

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs 8691, kewanee
  • dollar general 1892, geneseo
  • dollar general 2211, kewanee
  • dollar general 6381, cambridge
  • dollar general 9015, galva
  • dollar tree 3082, kewanee
  • dollartree 8744, geneseo
  • dollar general 11448, colona
  • dollar general 16367, woodhull
  • highland packing co, colona
  • walgreens 5511, kewanee
  • walgreens 12305, geneseo

Super Store · 4

  • fareway stores, inc. 59, geneseo
  • hy-vee dollar fresh 1217, geneseo
  • walmart 633, kewanee
  • walmart 957, geneseo

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 68017 68017, kewanee
  • save-a-lot 23689, kewanee
  • sullivan's foods 3162, kewanee

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • hathaway ace hardware and fresh market, galva
  • mercado la concepcion, kewanee

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • orion market, inc., orion

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Henry County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Henry County sits inside Illinois (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 Henry County has low food access? ▼
31.4% of residents in Henry County, IL 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 Henry County? ▼
13.3% of households in Henry County receive SNAP, covering 2,696 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Henry County? ▼
The poverty rate in Henry County, IL is 8.9%, with a median household income of $71,911 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Henry County a food desert? ▼
2 of Henry County's 13 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 Henry County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.6% of households in Henry 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.