PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Knox County, IL

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Knox 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).

26.9%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
15.4%
on SNAP
49K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

26.9% of Knox County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
8.6%
households, no vehicle
14.6%
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 Knox County's low-access share at 26.9%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,213 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,610 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 Knox County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Knox County's 26.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 63% of them and ranked #1,157 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Knox County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Knox 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 Knox County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (56.3%) 3 tracts limited (18.8%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 56% Limited 19% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Knox County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Knox 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 Knox County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)52,919
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population14,213
Low-Access Share26.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,610

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Knox County
IndicatorValue
Population49,046
Median Household Income$57,030
Poverty Rate14.6%near the national average
SNAP Households3,235
SNAP Participation Rate15.4%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.6%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.1%
SNAP participation in Knox County 15.4%

About 15.4% of Knox County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,235 households here.
  • 8.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Knox County

above the national share

4 of Knox County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 14,213 residents, roughly 26.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,610 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (56.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Knox County

Knox County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • beck's 18, galesburg
  • casey's 3416, galesburg
  • casey's general store 1477, wataga
  • casey's general store 1707, knoxville
  • casey's general store 1750, abingdon
  • casey's general store 2188, galesburg
  • circle k 4701222, galesburg
  • circle k 4701418, galesburg
  • galesburg conoco, galesburg
  • galesburg quick mart 1, galesburg
  • hy vee gas 2, galesburg
  • hy-vee gas 5215, galesburg
  • jp food & liquor, abingdon
  • knoxville mobil, knoxville
  • lincolnusallc, galesburg
  • loves travel stop 685, galesburg
  • maquon miracle mart, maquon
  • quick sams, galesburg
  • quick stop, yates city
  • save more super market, galesburg
  • shiv ganga inc, galesburg
  • thorntons 349, galesburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • dollar general 2259, galesburg
  • dollar general 4851, galesburg
  • dollar general 6258, knoxville
  • dollar general 9386, abingdon
  • dollar tree 3086, galesburg
  • dollar general 23612, oneida
  • dollar general 25209, abingdon
  • family dollar 13927, abingdon
  • walgreens #7216 07216, galesburg
  • walgreens 04504, galesburg

Super Store · 4

  • hy-vee foods, galesburg
  • hy-vee foods 1216, galesburg
  • target store 891, galesburg
  • walmart supercenter 775, galesburg

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • arlette asian-african foods 2, galesburg
  • cornucopia ntrl food & fine chees, galesburg
  • ladds food mart, williamsfield

Farmers' Market · 2

  • galesburg farmers' market, galesburg
  • knoxville farmers market, knoxville

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 68002 68002, galesburg
  • hi-lo grocery #3, abingdon

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • high low grocery, galesburg

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 Knox County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Knox 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 Knox County has low food access? ▼
26.9% of residents in Knox 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 Knox County? ▼
15.4% of households in Knox County receive SNAP, covering 3,235 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Knox County? ▼
The poverty rate in Knox County, IL is 14.6%, with a median household income of $57,030 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Knox County a food desert? ▼
4 of Knox County's 16 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 Knox County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.6% of households in Knox 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.