County food-access profile · Illinois
Kane County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kane County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 21.0%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 11.0%
- on SNAP
- 517K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
21.0% of Kane County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 82 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 41
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 4.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.9%
- 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).
USDA data puts Kane County's low-access share at 21.0%, above the national share. 41 of the county's 82 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 107,962 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 18,047 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 Kane County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kane County's 21.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 49% of them and ranked #1,603 most-affected nationwide.
Kane County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 82 census tracts in Kane County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Kane County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Kane
Kane County, IL
21 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 82 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 515,269 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 41 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 107,962 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.0%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 18,047 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 517,255 |
| Median Household Income | $103,163 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 20,253 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 11.0% of Kane County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 21.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 20,253 households here.
- 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 tracts 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 Kane County
above the national share
5 of Kane County's 82 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.1% of all its tracts.
A further 36 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 41.
An estimated 107,962 residents, roughly 21.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 18,047 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 41 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Kane County
Kane County has 283 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 134 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 134
- 300 south street inc, elgin
- 407 gas and food inc, aurora
- 7 eleven 33079, huntley
- 7-eleven 33145, batavia
- 7-eleven 33764c, carpentersville
- 7-eleven #30153c, saint charles
- 7-eleven #33135d, elgin
- 7-eleven #33814b #33814b, aurora
- 7-eleven 32821c, south elgin
- 7-eleven 33064c, aurora
- 7-eleven 33141c, aurora
- 7-eleven 33146e, north aurora
- 7-eleven 33850b 33850b, geneva
- 7-eleven 33883a, north aurora
- 7-eleven 33895c, saint charles
- 7-eleven 33917b, geneva
- 7-eleven 38562a 38562a, carpentersville
- a1 stop food mart, aurora
- anurab petroleum inc, elgin
- aurora mart, aurora
- b&k foodmart inc, aurora
- bp elgin gasoline inc, elgin
- batavia shell, batavia
- best dollar store, aurora
- big rock mart, big rock
- bp gas, elgin
- bp gas station, elgin
- bp gas station, aurora
- brahmani oil inc, elgin
- broadway fuel mart, aurora
- buenos amigos mart, aurora
- casey's 4566, carpentersville
- casey's 6544, batavia
- casey's 6545, south elgin
- cbjs realestate inc, aurora
- carpentersville bp gei-150, carpentersville
- casey's 3834, west dundee
- casey's 4013, north aurora
- casey's general store 3066, hampshire
- circle k 2655944 2655944, batavia
- circle k 4706720, elgin
- circle k 4706723, batavia
- circle k 4706754, aurora
- circle k 4706797, elgin
- circle k 4706828, south elgin
- circle k 4706876, montgomery
- circle k 4706891, saint charles
- circle k 6763, aurora
- circle k east dundee, east dundee
- citgo, aurora
- diyakrish inc, elburn
- dulceria de aurora, aurora
- eastwood 2 inc, carpentersville
- el ranchito, elgin
- elgin convenience 1 inc, elgin
- ez mart food & liquor, elgin
- fiesta food mart, aurora
- fox view grocery & liquor, st charles
- fruitful yield batavia 1121, batavia
- fruitful yield south elgin 1124, south elgin
- future mobile services inc 1, aurora
- galena gasoline inc dba bp gas station, aurora
- galenamart inc., aurora
- gas n wash north aurora, north aurora
- hampshire gasoline inc, hampshire
- hashmi stop inc., aurora
- izaan inc, aurora
- j.j. peppers food store, elgin
- jjr mart 1, aurora
- lafox food inc, south elgin
- larkin mobil llc, elgin
- lazar brothers enterprises, inc., hampshire
- liberty fuel inc, elgin
- love's travel stop 763, hampshire
- marathon gas station, elgin
- meijer gas station 182, saint charles
- meijer gas station 183, elgin
- midwest petro, aurora
- murphy usa 7527, montgomery
- new york gas mart inc, aurora
- orchard stop, montgomery
- oasis lily lake inc, maple park
- oasis on 20 inc, elgin
- om sai ram carpentersville oil inc, carpentersville
- osho elgin fuel, elgin
- osho southelgin fuel, elgin
- price rite gas & food, elgin
- paul's bus stop inc., elgin
- plum food mart inc, aurora
- pops pantry, elgin
- prime time oil, inc., aurora
- prime timefood mart inc., aurora
- primetime fuels, montgomery
- quick shop food & liquor, carpentersville
- r c convenient spirit, south elgin
- rand 245 inc, south elgin
- rebel 871, montgomery
- riverview citgo, north aurora
- road ranger 235, hampshire
- sai food & gas, aurora
- sajeel citgo gas & food inc, montgomery
- seventy two express llc, gilberts
- shell 280, saint charles
- southelgin food & liquor, south elgin
- speedway 5036, hampshire
- speedway 5393, north aurora
- speedway 6207, batavia
- speedway 6917, north aurora
- speedway 7514, elgin
- speedway 7540, aurora
- speedway 7616, west dundee
- speedway 7756, elgin
- speedway 7764, east dundee
- speedway 8851, south elgin
- st charles mart, saint charles
- st. charles mini mart, saint charles
- stop n shop, elgin
- super saver food mart no, elgin
- supreme station food & tobacco, aurora
- ta elgin 044, hampshire
- the pride of aurora 713, aurora
- the pride of kane county 719, saint charles
- the pride of st charles 709, saint charles
- the pride of batavia 751, batavia
- the pride of elgin 752, elgin
- thorntons #221306 221306, east dundee
- thorntons #221359 221359, saint charles
- thorntons 117, south elgin
- thorntons 128, west dundee
- thorntons 139, north aurora
- thorntons llc 221315, aurora
- tyler creek mobil 58, hampshire
- vision gas & food inc, elgin
- wood mini mart, aurora
Combination Grocery/Other · 67
- cvs pharmacy 1161, aurora
- cvs pharmacy 2786, south elgin
- cvs pharmacy 4269, geneva
- cvs pharmacy 5829, elgin
- carniceria el paso chico corp, aurora
- carniceria el paso grande corp., aurora
- dollar general 6438, aurora
- dollar tree 4719, saint charles
- dollartree 8869, elburn
- dollartree 9615, saint charles
- dollar general 12424, aurora
- dollar general 12750, aurora
- dollar general 19091, aurora
- dollar general 19104, elgin
- dollar general 25814, aurora
- dollar general 30470, saint charles
- dollar general 4336, carpentersville
- dollar tree 2008, west dundee
- dollar tree 3744, elgin
- dollar tree 4596, aurora
- dollar tree 5447, elgin
- dollar tree 5597, aurora
- dollar tree 5767, aurora
- dollar tree 643, north aurora
- dollar tree 7500, batavia
- dollar tree 8588, south elgin
- dragon asian grocery, aurora
- el paso mas grande inc, aurora
- el pollo desplumado, aurora
- family dollar 12683, aurora
- family dollar 1987, elgin
- family dollar 2756, aurora
- family dollar 3638, elgin
- family dollar 6669, aurora
- family dollar 7825, elgin
- franks freshway market, elgin
- golden market of elgin, elgin
- hot masala grocers, carpentersville
- ires food market, aurora
- komo grocery, aurora
- onpoint foods, elgin
- shubhlaxmi indian groceries, south elgin
- shwe din gah groceries,llc, north aurora
- supermercado carrera, aurora
- supreme groceries, elgin
- walgreens #7100 07100, elgin
- walgreens 3774, aurora
- walgreens 6937, aurora
- walgreens 01131, north aurora
- walgreens 04179, geneva
- walgreens 04258, west dundee
- walgreens 04463, south elgin
- walgreens 04502, carpentersville
- walgreens 04561, batavia
- walgreens 06795, saint charles
- walgreens 06796, south elgin
- walgreens 07292, saint charles
- walgreens 07457, huntley
- walgreens 07467, aurora
- walgreens 07596, elburn
- walgreens 09439, elgin
- walgreens 12125, aurora
- walgreens 12772, elgin
- walgreens 16092, batavia
- walgreens 6764, carpentersville
- walgreens 9404, aurora
- walgreens 9431, sugar grove
Super Store · 18
- butera foods 585, elgin
- caputo's fresh market 431, south elgin
- cermak fresh market, aurora
- costco wholesale 1040, st charles
- elgin fruit market, elgin
- el guero fresh market, aurora
- elgin farmers produce, elgin
- fresh thyme market 113gen, geneva
- meijer inc 182, st charles
- meijer inc 183, elgin
- supermercado la chiquita 3, aurora
- sam's club 4942, elgin
- supermercado el guero, aurora
- target store 1323, st charles
- target store 1896, south elgin
- target store 2177, north aurora
- target store 834, elgin
- target store 839, batavia
Medium Grocery Store · 11
- asian market ltd, south elgin
- casa blanca supermercado inc, aurora
- ires food market, elgin
- la alcancia, carpentersville
- mecca grocery 1, elgin
- new himalayan grocery, aurora
- nick & mike fresh market llc, aurora
- pitayo butchery inc, west dundee
- san lorenzo grocery store inc, aurora
- tropical market llc, aurora
- yangon oriental store, aurora
Large Grocery Store · 7
- alma food market inc, aurora
- cinco de mayo market, batavia
- la huerta supermarket, st charles
- masala dabba 1, south elgin
- paramguru 9 llc, hampshire
- save-a-lot 45036, aurora
- supermercado la salsa, elgin
Farmers' Market · 5
- aurora farmers market, aurora
- aurora farmers market west 2, aurora
- batavia farmer's market, batavia
- elgin farmers market, elgin
- elgin farmers market, elgin
Small Grocery Store · 5
- carniceria & fruteria los compadres inc, aurora
- jo jo grocery inc, elgin
- k & p oriental food, elgin
- niffy african store #1, aurora
- primos food mart inc, aurora
Bakery Specialty · 1
- cinco de mayo bakery, aurora
Delivery Route · 1
- fine cut meat & seafood inc., hampshire
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- country village meats 2, geneva
Showing 250 of 283 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Kane County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Kane County sits inside Illinois (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 Kane County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kane County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Kane County? ▼
Is Kane County a food desert? ▼
What share of Kane 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.