County food-access profile · Nebraska

Kearney County, NE

Most of Kearney County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

2.5%
low-access pop.: 0
food-desert tracts: 3.9%
on SNAP: 7K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NE

The food-access picture

2.5% of Kearney County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

0
low-access tracts: 36
food-desert residents: 0.9%
households, no vehicle: 7.2%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Kearney County fares better than most: just 2.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 2 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 162 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Kearney County compares nationally

Food access in Kearney County compares favorably nationally: its 2.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 6% of them (rank #2,940).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Kearney County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 2 census tracts in Kearney County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Kearney

2.5
Adams

35
Antelope

12.9
Arthur

100
Banner

98.5
Blaine

100

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Kearney County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	2
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	6,489
Low-Access Tracts	0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	0
Low-Access Population	162
Low-Access Share	2.5%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	36

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Kearney County
Indicator	Value
Population	6,713
Median Household Income	$78,631
Poverty Rate	7.2%well below the national average
SNAP Households	111
SNAP Participation Rate	3.9%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	0.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	0.9%

SNAP participation in Kearney County 3.9%

About 3.9% of Kearney County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

2.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
3.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 111 households here.
0.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
Median household income is $78,631 with a 7.2% 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 Kearney County

below the national share

An estimated 162 residents, roughly 2.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 36 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

None of Kearney County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.

SNAP retailers in Kearney County

Kearney County has 5 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 2 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 2

dollar general 1019, minden
dollar general 25123, minden

Convenience Store · 1

casey's 1801, minden

Medium Grocery Store · 1

kats korner market, axtell

Supermarket · 1

mason's supermarket 47, minden

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Nebraska

Adams County

35.0% low-access · 9.1% SNAP

Antelope County

12.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP

Arthur County

100.0% low-access · 5.9% SNAP

Banner County

98.5% low-access · 1.3% SNAP

Blaine County

100.0% low-access

Boone County

12.3% low-access · 3.9% SNAP

Compare Kearney County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →

Food access nationally, Nebraska in context

Kearney County sits inside Nebraska (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 Kearney County has low food access? ▼

2.5% of residents in Kearney County, NE 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 Kearney County? ▼

3.9% of households in Kearney County receive SNAP, covering 111 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Kearney County? ▼

The poverty rate in Kearney County, NE is 7.2%, with a median household income of $78,631 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Kearney County a food desert? ▼

0 of Kearney County's 2 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.

What share of Kearney County households lack a vehicle? ▼

0.9% of households in Kearney 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 2026-06-23 (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.