County food-access profile · Indiana
Jefferson County, IN
Jefferson 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.
- 8.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 10.0%
- on SNAP
- 33K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.3% of Jefferson County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 878
- food-desert residents
- 3.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.3%
- 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).
Jefferson County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.3% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,687 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Jefferson County compares nationally
Jefferson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.3% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,623).
Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Jefferson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Jefferson County vs. other Indiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Indiana
- Jefferson 8.3
Jefferson County, IN
8.3 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, IN
17.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, IN
37.8 % low-access
- Bartholomew
Bartholomew County, IN
36.4 % low-access
- Benton 1.7
Benton County, IN
1.7 % low-access
- Blackford
Blackford County, IN
15.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,428 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,687 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 878 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,998 |
| Median Household Income | $64,577 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,274 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.1% |
About 10.0% of Jefferson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,274 households here.
- 3.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $64,577 with a 12.3% poverty rate.
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 Jefferson County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 2,687 residents, roughly 8.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 878 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 11 locations (37% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs 6791, madison
- cvs 6798, hanover
- dollar general 4044, madison
- dollar general 4879, hanover
- dollar general 20052, madison
- dollar general 24156, deputy
- dollar general 31281, dupont
- dollar general 31409, hanover
- dollar general 353, madison
- dollar tree 3066, madison
- walgreens 10720, madison
Convenience Store · 11
- alpfaa-mart, hanover
- casey's 4273, madison
- casey's 4297, madison
- circle k 2234, madison
- circle k 4700008, madison
- circle k 4700011, hanover
- circle k 4700069, madison
- circle k 4702422, madison
- dupont hardware & grocery store inc, dupont
- kent mercantile, madison
- sn marathon llc, madison
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- city meat market, madison
- ohio valley meat processing llc, hanover
Super Store · 2
- kroger 741, madison
- walmart 1327, madison
Large Grocery Store · 1
- pride family market, inc., hanover
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- dutch discount market, hanover
Small Grocery Store · 1
- chelsea general store, lexington
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 44066 44066, madison
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Indiana
Compare Jefferson County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →
Food access nationally, Indiana in context
Jefferson County sits inside Indiana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Jefferson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Jefferson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County? ▼
Is Jefferson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Jefferson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.