County food-access profile · Illinois
Kankakee County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kankakee 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).
- 20.8%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 15.9%
- on SNAP
- 107K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
20.8% of Kankakee County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 6.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.2%
- 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 Kankakee County's low-access share at 20.8%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 29 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 23,575 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,884 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 Kankakee County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kankakee County's 20.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,622 most-affected nationwide.
Kankakee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 29 census tracts in Kankakee County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Kankakee County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Kankakee
Kankakee County, IL
20.8 % 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 | 29 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 113,449 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 23,575 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.8%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,884 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 106,635 |
| Median Household Income | $71,281 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,532 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.5% |
About 15.9% of Kankakee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 20.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,532 households here.
- 6.6% 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 Kankakee County
above the national share
5 of Kankakee County's 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 17.2% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 23,575 residents, roughly 20.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,884 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (62.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Kankakee County
Kankakee County has 109 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 54 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 54
- amar market llc, kankakee
- bp, st. anne
- brake time, kankakee
- brake time, manteno
- brake time 221617, manteno
- brake time 221618, bourbonnais
- brake time 221619, bradley
- brake time 221620, kankakee
- brake time 221622, herscher
- casey's 2231, grant park
- casey's 3284, manteno
- casey's general store 3494, momence
- casey's 1372, herscher
- casey's 3402, manteno
- casey's general store 2217, saint anne
- casey's general store 2368, kankakee
- casey's general store 2910, bourbonnais
- casey's general store 2926, bradley
- circle k 0173, bourbonnais
- circle k 177, kankakee
- circle k 178, aroma park
- circle k 183, manteno
- circle k 4700171, bourbonnais
- circle k 4700172, bourbonnais
- circle k 4700174, bradley
- circle k 4700175, bradley
- circle k 4700180, momence
- circle k 4701386, manteno
- circle k 4701388, kankakee
- circle k 4701390, kankakee
- circle k 4701391, bradley
- circle k 4701392, bradley
- g & s gas, inc., kankakee
- gulf gas station, bourbonnais
- kankakee gas n wash 174, kankakee
- kankakee river petroleum llc, kankakee
- king fuel services llc, kankakee
- lenny's gas n wash bourbonnais, llc, bourbonnais
- love's travel stop 395, kankakee
- love's travel stop 834, grant park
- meijer gas station 301, bradley
- mike's corner shell, kankakee
- murphy express 8817, bourbonnais
- murphy usa 7511, kankakee
- pinnacle gas inc, pembroke township
- ricky rockets fuel center - kankakee, kankakee
- riverview grocery inc, kankakee
- road ranger llc 287, bourbonnais
- sals grocery, kankakee
- speedway 1415, kankakee
- speedway 7077, kankakee
- speedway 7509 7509, bourbonnais
- spinners tailspin inn, kankakee
- three brothers, kankakee
Combination Grocery/Other · 28
- cvs 2663, kankakee
- cvs pharmacy 10680, manteno
- cvs pharmacy 10736, momence
- dollar general 1905, bourbonnais
- dollar general 2303, momence
- dollar general 8236, manteno
- dollar tree 1346, bradley
- dollartree 8919, kankakee
- dollartree 9301, bourbonnais
- dollar general 13404, st anne
- dollar general 16804, herscher
- dollar general 17031, kankakee
- dollar general 17067, kankakee
- dollar general 17500, grant park
- dollar general 20661, saint anne
- dollar general 20849, bradley
- dollar general 21123, kankakee
- dollar general 21257, kankakee
- dollar general 22187, essex
- dollar general 30468, bourbonnais
- dollar general 8735, bourbonnais
- dollar general store 17595, aroma park
- dollar tree 3830, kankakee
- family dollar store 1267, kankakee
- family dollar store 2925, kankakee
- walgreens 04142, kankakee
- walgreens 10339, bourbonnais
- walgreens 12468, kankakee
Super Store · 9
- berkot's super foods 317, momence
- berkot's super foods 318, manteno
- berkot's super foods 325, aroma park
- berkot's super foods 759, kankakee
- kroger j-984, bourbonnais
- meijer 301, bradley
- target store 895, bourbonnais
- walmart supercenter 1307, bourbonnais
- walmart supercenter 4323, kankakee
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 68038 68038, kankakee
- aldi 68039 68039, bourbonnais
- aldi 68093, bourbonnais
- gordon food service store mp091, bourbonnais
- jewel food store 1156, kankakee
- jewel food store 2488, bourbonnais
- los perez supermarket kankakee inc, kankakee
Small Grocery Store · 5
- bargain discount 1 inc, kankakee
- county west market, herscher
- kankakee natural foods inc, bradley
- st judes mexican store, momence
- station food market inc, kankakee
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- fruteria y carniceria kankakee, kankakee
- supermercado la siesta, bradley
- yuriria supermarket,llc, kankakee
- ziri fresh market inc, kankakee
Farmers' Market · 1
- kankakee farmers' market, kankakee
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- henson's southside meats, momence
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Kankakee County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Kankakee 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
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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.