Signature · 10.5% SNAP (79th pct in IA)
Jackson County, IA
Jackson County stands out on SNAP (10.5%, -1.6 pts vs U.S.) with 24.0% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 24.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 10.5%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jackson County, IA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 24.0% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.9 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Van Buren County (+ 0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Jackson County ranks #1,365 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #26 of 98 counties in IA (24.0% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,365
- national by low-access %
- #26
- in IA
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 10.5% SNAP (79th pct in IA) (-1.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Jackson County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jackson County's 24.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,365 most-affected nationwide.
Jackson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Jackson 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.
Jackson County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Humboldt 24.5
Humboldt 24.5%
24.5 % low-access
- Palo Alto 24.4
Palo Alto 24.4%
24.4 % low-access
- Van Buren 24.3
Van Buren 24.3%
24.3 % low-access
- Jackson 24
Jackson 24%
24 % low-access
- Cherokee 23.3
Cherokee 23.3%
23.3 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,848 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,763 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.0%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,393 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,390 |
| Median Household Income | $74,186 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 865 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Jackson County
Jackson County has 18 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 18 authorized stores; Maquoketa holds 61% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Bellevue, Zwingle.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Maquoketa | 11 | 2 |
| Bellevue | 3 | none |
| Preston | 2 | 1 |
| Zwingle | 2 | none |
Convenience Store · 7
- casey's 2578, maquoketa
- casey's general store 2846, maquoketa
- casey's general store 2915, bellevue
- hy-vee dollar fresh 1407, maquoketa
- kwik star 212, maquoketa
- kwik trip 894, maquoketa
- otter creek stop, zwingle
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- benders foods, bellevue
- dollar general 18235, preston
- dollar general 2295, maquoketa
- dollar tree 6256, maquoketa
- family dollar 12227, bellevue
Small Grocery Store · 2
- dj mini mart, maquoketa
- otter creek meats, llc, zwingle
Super Store · 2
- fareway stores, inc. 639, maquoketa
- walmart sc 1509, maquoketa
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- tada meats, maquoketa
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- preston grocery, preston
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 Jackson County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Nationwide peers for Jackson County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Jackson County (10.5%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (24.0% here).
- LaPorte County, IN · 24.0% low-access
- Floyd County, IN · 24.0% low-access
- Prince George's County, MD · 24.0% low-access
- Madison County, MS · 24.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (10.5% here).
- Henry County, GA · 10.5% SNAP
- Dade County, GA · 10.5% SNAP
- Camden County, GA · 10.5% SNAP
- Otsego County, MI · 10.5% 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%). Jackson County, at 24.0%, runs 4.0 pts above 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 Jackson County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19097. 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.