Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Jefferson County, NE
Jefferson County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 29.8% low-access.
- 29.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.5%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jefferson County, NE
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 29.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +7.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.5% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Holt County (+ 0.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Jefferson County sits in the upper national band (29.8%, #946 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #946
- national by low-access %
- #44
- in NE
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 746
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Jefferson County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jefferson County's 29.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #946 most-affected nationwide.
Jefferson County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Jefferson County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (2 urban, 1 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 1 rural tract is held to 10 miles.
Jefferson County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Jefferson 29.8
Jefferson 29.8%
29.8 % low-access
- Holt 29.8
Holt 29.8%
29.8 % low-access
- Madison 29.6
Madison 29.6%
29.6 % low-access
- Perkins 29.6
Perkins 29.6%
29.6 % low-access
- Chase 29.4
Chase 29.4%
29.4 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,547 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,253 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.8%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 746 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,161 |
| Median Household Income | $59,044 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 392 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.5%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
Slim SNAP store book in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 4 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 1 locations (25% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 4 authorized stores are in Fairbury, 2 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 2746, fairbury
Convenience Store · 1
- caseys general store 1193, fairbury
Super Store · 1
- walmart sc 0418, fairbury
Supermarket · 1
- rays apple market, fairbury
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Nebraska
One of 92 counties in Nebraska, 6 are shown here.
Compare Jefferson County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Nebraska among West North Central states
Nebraska ranks 6th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (21.9%). Jefferson County, at 29.8%, runs 7.9 pts above the Nebraska 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 Jefferson County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31095. 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.