PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Indiana

Henry County, IN

Henry County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

18.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
10.1%
on SNAP
49K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IN

The food-access picture

18.2% of Henry County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
13.6%
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).

Henry County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.2% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,996 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,243 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

Henry County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.2% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,843).

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, IN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (69.2%) 3 tracts limited (23.1%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 69% Limited 23% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Henry County, IN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Henry 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 Henry County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,462
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,996
Low-Access Share18.2%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,243

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Henry County
IndicatorValue
Population48,970
Median Household Income$63,150
Poverty Rate13.6%near the national average
SNAP Households1,889
SNAP Participation Rate10.1%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.5%
SNAP participation in Henry County 10.1%

About 10.1% of Henry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 18.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,889 households here.
  • 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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

near the national share

1 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 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 8,996 residents, roughly 18.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,243 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (69.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Henry County

Henry County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • amoco mart, new castle
  • casey's general store 3091, new castle
  • casey's general store 3704, spiceland
  • food center, shirley
  • gas america 8087, new castle
  • gs mart inc, new castle
  • gursat petroleum inc, new castle
  • harmonee corp, spiceland
  • jv singh inc, new castle
  • knightstown quickpix 1111, knightstown
  • love's travel stop 601, knightstown
  • new castle inc, new castle
  • new castle pantry, new castle
  • new castle shell 105, new castle
  • nr23 inc, middletown
  • nw21 inc, new castle
  • pilot travel center 655, spiceland
  • pilot travel center 731, spiceland
  • rickers 7504, middletown
  • romi oil, new castle
  • skymart, new castle
  • speedup 6, new lisbon
  • speedway 5172, new castle
  • speedway 7153, knightstown
  • speedway 8061, knightstown
  • speedway 8613, new castle

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • bts meats, middletown
  • cvs 6643, new castle
  • cvs 6661, knightstown
  • cvs 6662, middletown
  • dollar general 0155, new castle
  • dollar general 1145, knightstown
  • dollar general 11037, middletown
  • dollar general 15948, mount summit
  • dollar general 21863, new castle
  • dollar general 22384, spiceland
  • dollar tree 1577, new castle
  • family dollar store 1120, new castle
  • family dollar store 4801, new castle
  • walgreens 07690, new castle

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • harvest supermarket 2, new castle
  • harvest supermarket 3, middletown

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • knightstown locker, knightstown
  • rihm foods, cambridge city

Super Store · 2

  • kroger j-920, new castle
  • walmart 1758, new castle

Farmers' Market · 1

  • henry county farmers market, new castle

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • my market, knightstown

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 44010 44010, new castle

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 Henry County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →

Food access nationally, Indiana in context

Henry 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 Henry County has low food access? ▼
18.2% of residents in Henry 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 Henry County? ▼
10.1% of households in Henry County receive SNAP, covering 1,889 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Henry County? ▼
The poverty rate in Henry County, IN is 13.6%, with a median household income of $63,150 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Henry County a food desert? ▼
1 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? ▼
5.7% 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.