PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Jo Daviess County, IL

Jo Daviess 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.

17.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.4%
on SNAP
22K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

17.2% of Jo Daviess County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
860
food-desert residents
7.0%
households, no vehicle
7.8%
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).

Jo Daviess County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,908 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 860 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 Jo Daviess County compares nationally

Jo Daviess County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.2% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,933).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Jo Daviess County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Jo Daviess 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 Jo Daviess County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (50.0%) 2 tracts limited (33.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 50% Limited 33% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Jo Daviess County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Jo Daviess County vs. other Illinois counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois

% 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 Jo Daviess County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)22,678
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,908
Low-Access Share17.2%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population860

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Jo Daviess County
IndicatorValue
Population21,851
Median Household Income$73,993
Poverty Rate7.8%well below the national average
SNAP Households874
SNAP Participation Rate8.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Jo Daviess County 8.4%

About 8.4% of Jo Daviess County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 874 households here.
  • 7.0% 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 Jo Daviess County

near the national share

1 of Jo Daviess County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 3,908 residents, roughly 17.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 860 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Jo Daviess County

Jo Daviess County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 6

  • big 10 mart 6, east dubuque
  • casey's 1292, warren
  • casey's general store 2505, stockton
  • casey's general store 3451, galena
  • express lane gas & food mart 63, stockton
  • murphy usa 7127, galena

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

  • dollar general 13508, warren
  • dollar general 15791, elizabeth
  • family dollar 10598, stockton

Super Store · 2

  • piggly wiggly supermarket 314, galena
  • walmart 5044, galena

Farmers' Market · 1

  • jo daviess local foods, elizabeth

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • hartzell's family foods, warren

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • country house grocery, scales mound

Supermarket · 1

  • sullivan's foods 3172, stockton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Jo Daviess County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Jo Daviess County sits inside Illinois (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 Jo Daviess County has low food access? ▼
17.2% of residents in Jo Daviess County, IL 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 Jo Daviess County? ▼
8.4% of households in Jo Daviess County receive SNAP, covering 874 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Jo Daviess County? ▼
The poverty rate in Jo Daviess County, IL is 7.8%, with a median household income of $73,993 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Jo Daviess County a food desert? ▼
1 of Jo Daviess County's 6 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 Jo Daviess County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.0% of households in Jo Daviess 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.