Signature · 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts)
Jay County, IN
Jay County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of the book) alongside 24.4% low-access.
- 24.4%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 9.7%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jay County, IN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.7% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 43% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Floyd County ( -0.4 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Jay County ranks #1,335 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #30 of 89 counties in IN (24.4% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,335
- national by low-access %
- #30
- in IN
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts) .
How Jay County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jay County's 24.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,341 most-affected nationwide.
Jay County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Jay County has 3 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Jay County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Indiana, not a full county-board reprint
- Hendricks
Hendricks 51.5%
51.5 % low-access
- Jennings
Jennings 25.2%
25.2 % low-access
- Jay
Jay 24.4%
24.4 % low-access
- Floyd
Floyd 24%
24 % low-access
- LaPorte
LaPorte 24%
24 % low-access
- Tipton
Tipton 22.4%
22.4 % low-access
- Harrison 0
Harrison 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,253 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,189 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,374 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,229 |
| Median Household Income | $54,969 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 757 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.2%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
SNAP retailers in Jay County
Jay County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 10 locations (59% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- cvs 6624, portland
- cvs 6632, dunkirk
- dollar general 18511, redkey
- dollar general 3319, portland
- dollartree 8635, portland
- dollar general 21578, pennville
- dollar general 23925, dunkirk
- fisher packing company, portland
- family dollar store 1363, portland
- family dollar store 1712, dunkirk
Convenience Store · 5
- circle k 2207, portland
- dunkirk pantry, dunkirk
- pennville pantry, pennville
- quickway portland, portland
- village pantry 5627, portland
Farmers' Market · 1
- dunkirk farmers market, dunkirk
Super Store · 1
- walmart 2388, portland
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Indiana
One of 91 counties in Indiana, 6 are shown here.
Compare Jay County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →
Nationwide peers for Jay County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Jay County, both outside Indiana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IN (24.4% here).
- Saratoga County, NY · 24.4% low-access
- Saratoga County, NY · 24.4% low-access
- Franklin County, OH · 24.4% low-access
- Franklin County, OH · 24.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IN (9.7% here).
- Neosho County, KS · 9.7% SNAP
- Neosho County, KS · 9.7% SNAP
- Nelson County, KY · 9.7% SNAP
- Nelson County, KY · 9.7% 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.
Food access nationally, Indiana in context
Jay County sits inside Indiana (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Jay County, IN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 18075. 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.