Signature · 4.6% SNAP (6th pct in IA)
Kossuth County, IA
Kossuth 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.
- 18.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.6%
- on SNAP
- 15K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Kossuth County, IA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 18.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Greene County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Kossuth County ranks #1,792 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #44 of 98 counties in IA (18.7% low-access).
- #1,792
- national by low-access %
- #44
- in IA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 644
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 4.6% SNAP (6th pct in IA) (-7.5 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Kossuth County compares nationally
Kossuth County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.7% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,792).
Kossuth County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Kossuth County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Kossuth County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Polk 19.4
Polk 19.4%
19.4 % low-access
- Woodbury 19.2
Woodbury 19.2%
19.2 % low-access
- Kossuth 18.7
Kossuth 18.7%
18.7 % low-access
- Greene 18.6
Greene 18.6%
18.6 % low-access
- Jefferson 18.5
Jefferson 18.5%
18.5 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,543 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,908 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 644 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 14,516 |
| Median Household Income | $67,697 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 304 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
SNAP retailers in Kossuth County
Kossuth County has 13 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 13 authorized stores; Algona holds 54% of them. 2 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Swea City, W Swea City.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Algona | 7 | 2 |
| West Bend | 2 | 1 |
| Bancroft | 1 | 1 |
| Swea City | 1 | none |
| Titonka | 1 | 1 |
| W Swea City | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 5
- casey's 1541, west bend
- casey's 2460, algona
- casey's general store 1762, algona
- chrome truck stop 1, algona
- yesway 1198, swea city
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollartree 8190, algona
- dollar general 1760, algona
- dollar general store 17600, w swea city
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- hager foods 1731, bancroft
- kampen foods, west bend
- titonka food center, titonka
Super Store · 2
- fareway stores, inc. 531, algona
- hy-vee food store 1010, algona
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Iowa
One of 98 counties in Iowa, 6 are shown here.
Compare Kossuth County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Nationwide peers for Kossuth County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Kossuth County (4.6%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (18.7% here).
- Winston County, MS · 18.7% low-access
- Freestone County, TX · 18.7% low-access
- Roanoke city, VA · 18.7% low-access
- Big Horn County, WY · 18.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (4.6% here).
- LaGrange County, IN · 4.6% SNAP
- Franklin County, IN · 4.6% SNAP
- Idaho County, ID · 4.6% SNAP
- Saunders County, NE · 4.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Kossuth County, at 18.7%, runs 1.3 pts below the Iowa rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Kossuth County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19109. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.