County food-access profile · Illinois
Lake County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lake 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).
- 34.4%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 9.4%
- on SNAP
- 714K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.4% of Lake County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 152 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 93
- low-access tracts
- 42K
- food-desert residents
- 4.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.3%
- 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 Lake County's low-access share at 34.4%, above the national share. 93 of the county's 152 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 242,056 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 41,871 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 Lake County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lake County's 34.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #646 most-affected nationwide.
Lake County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 152 census tracts in Lake County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lake County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Lake
Lake County, IL
34.4 % 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 | 152 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 703,462 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 93 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 242,056 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 41,871 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 714,223 |
| Median Household Income | $110,416 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 24,166 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
About 9.4% of Lake County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 24,166 households here.
- 4.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Lake County
above the national share
8 of Lake County's 152 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.3% of all its tracts.
A further 85 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 93.
An estimated 242,056 residents, roughly 34.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 41,871 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 59 tracts (38.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lake County
Lake County has 410 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 149 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 149
- 1005 golf inc, waukegan
- 1015 food mart inc., north chicago
- 1234 food mart inc, north chicago
- 2107 grand fuel inc, waukegan
- 33199 inc, grayslake
- 7-eleven, lake forest
- 7-eleven #33893b #33893b, lake zurich
- 7-eleven 33131, hainesville
- 7-eleven 33736b, mundelein
- 7-eleven, lake forest
- 7-eleven 21163g, round lake heights
- 7-eleven 33144c, zion
- 7-eleven 33869b, buffalo grove
- a & n liquor & deli, ingleside
- a&e mini mart, waukegan
- amazing dollar plus inc., waukegan
- american gas & food ent inc, wadsworth
- anna's marketplace & car wash 38512, beach park
- anna's marketplace & car wash zion, zion
- antioch kwik pantry, antioch
- bishoy corporation, gurnee
- bp, zion
- bp gas station, antioch
- beach park bp, beach park
- beach park mini mart, beach park
- beach park mobil, beach park
- beachpark gas & food llc, beach park
- bp, libertyville
- buffalo grove 996, buffalo grove
- buffalo grove bp gei-153, buffalo grove
- casey's 3916, grayslake
- casey's 3923, beach park
- casey's 4287, gurnee
- casey's 6427, buffalo grove
- casey's 6434, lake zurich
- casey's 6430, highland park
- casey's 6438, vernon hills
- circle k 4706710, barrington
- circle k 4706721, barrington
- circle k 4706732, buffalo grove
- circle k 4706734, buffalo grove
- circle k 4706739, palatine
- circle k 4706743, grayslake
- circle k 4706744, gurnee
- circle k 4706746, lake villa
- circle k 4706747, mundelein
- circle k 4706748, mundelein
- circle k 4706830, fox lake
- circle k 6883, grayslake
- citgo, antioch
- citgo north chicago, north chicago
- dharni gas and food, antioch
- diamond lake mobil llc, mundelein
- diegos mini mart inc, waukegan
- dran gas station, waukegan
- foxlake petro mart, fox lake
- gages lake food and liquor, grayslake
- glen flora mini martinc, waukegan
- graham c-stores co - countryside 107, mundelein
- graham c-stores co - fairfield 109, round lake beach
- graham c-stores co - fox lake 005, fox lake
- graham c-stores co - highland park 011, highland park
- graham c-stores co - lake zurich 003, lake zurich
- graham c-stores co - libertyville 007, libertyville
- graham c-stores co - lincolnshire 010, lincolnshire
- graham c-stores co - north chicago 009, lake bluff
- graham c-stores co - wadsworth 012, wadsworth
- grand shell oil corporation, fox lake
- grandwood mobil, gurnee
- grass lake grocery, lindenhurst
- grayslake 992, grayslake
- grayslake bp at 45 gei-159, grayslake
- gurnee bp, gurnee
- gurnee truck stop, gurnee
- handy spot liquor inc, beach park
- hbsn gas, llc, zion
- home run liquor and food, round lake park
- hot spot food and liquor, waukegan
- imperial food store ii, waukegan
- ins petroleum inc 1701zion, zion
- island lake mobil 50, island lake
- ivanhoe bp (gei-165), mundelein
- j. n. mini mart inc, waukegan
- john's liquor & mini mart, north chicago
- ksp enterprises inc, round lake
- la tiendita de park city, park city
- lake county mart inc, island lake
- lake street bp @ 83 gei-160, grayslake
- lake villa bp gei-175, lake villa
- lake villa marathon, lake villa
- lake villa quik shop gei-103, lake villa
- lake zurich 997, lake zurich
- lenny's gas n wash green oaks, libertyville
- lew's mini mart citgo, highwood
- libertyville 925, libertyville
- libertyville quik shop gei-001, libertyville
- love's travel stop 770, wadsworth
- m & t pantry and liquor, round lake
- mj energy, waukegan
- mannys mini mart, vernon hills
- marathon, waukegan
- meijer gas station 289, round lake beach
- mj7 oil corporation, winthrop harbor
- mobil, lake bluff
- mobil gas station, waukegan
- mobil gas station, libertyville
- mobil mart, ingleside
- mundelein quik shop gei-106, mundelein
- murphy express 8854, lake zurich
- murphy usa 7581, round lake beach
- murphy usa 7593, zion
- murphy usa 7696, waukegan
- north chicago bp gei-146, north chicago
- one stop food and liquor, round lake beach
- quick stop food & liquor, waukegan
- r&d #3 inc, lindenhurst
- r&d# 4 inc, gurnee
- ricky rockets fuel center, buffalo grove
- rmarts lake zurich 52, lake zurich
- rmarts wauconda 56, wauconda
- rollins fuel inc, round lake beach
- round lake beach 928, round lake beach
- round lake bp, round lake
- round lake fuel inc, round lake
- royal food, waukegan
- stop & save, hainesville
- sun rays enterprises inc, fox lake
- sadhi llc, waukegan
- sai ram mart inc, waukegan
- save a stop, fox lake
- sba petroleum inc, mundelein
- shell park city, waukegan
- speedway 3996, volo
- speedway 4248, deerfield
- speedway 4440, beach park
- speedway 6210, lake barrington
- speedway 7216, gurnee
- speedway 7350, gurnee
- speedway 7372 7372, waukegan
- speedway 7459, north chicago
- speedway 7513, mundelein
- speedway 7649, buffalo grove
- srand gas station llc, waukegan
- st martin gas inc., north chicago
- stop & save, beach park
- sukun inc, waukegan
- sunnyside liquor, fox lake
- super quick shop gei-105, mundelein
- supermercados giselle, mundelein
Combination Grocery/Other · 98
- alef sausage & deli, mundelein
- ania's polish deli, lake zurich
- cvs 2788, buffalo grove
- cvs 2900, third lake
- cvs 2901, waukegan
- cvs 2902, lake forest
- cvs 7170, round lake
- cvs 8926, antioch
- cvs 8946, long grove
- cvs pharmacy 1172, lindenhurst
- cvs pharmacy 4787, highland park
- cvs pharmacy 7181, barrington
- carniceria mexico, waukegan
- carniceria y fruteria el mexicano, waukegan
- dollar general 14200, winthrop harbor
- dollar general 17013, beach park
- dollar general 1788, round lake
- dollar general 1820, zion
- dollar general 4181, round lake beach
- dollar general 4320, fox lake
- dollar general 6279, waukegan
- dollar tree 0670, waukegan
- dollar tree 4619, fox lake
- dollartree 10605, zion
- dollartree 10714, waukegan
- dollartree 8822, lindenhurst
- dollartree 8953, mundelein
- dollartree 9056, round lake
- dollartree 9368, north chicago
- dollartree 9732, vernon hills
- dollar general 12110, waukegan
- dollar general 12781, chicago
- dollar general 15019, waukegan
- dollar general 21260, waukegan
- dollar general 23554, island lake
- dollar general 23794, zion
- dollar general 25295, gurnee
- dollar general 4152, antioch
- dollar general 4175, grayslake
- dollar tree 1350, lake zurich
- dollar tree 2139, zion
- dollar tree 2318, wauconda
- dollar tree 3649, vernon hills
- dollar tree 3880, waukegan
- dollar tree 4003, gurnee
- dollar tree 4039, waukegan
- dollar tree 4880, waukegan
- dollar tree 664, round lake beach
- dollar tree 7436, grayslake
- dollar tree 7581, mundelein
- dollar tree 8325, deerfield
- family dollar 12008, north chicago
- family dollar 12345, park city
- family dollar 2697, waukegan
- family dollar 6277, waukegan
- family dollar store 3262, fox lake
- international village market, waukegan
- mendoza grocery, round lake
- mi tiendita waukegan inc., waukegan
- prime beef ltd, mundelein
- shree sai indian grocery, lake zurich
- spice bazaar, vernon hills
- walgreen's 3750, waukegan
- walgreens 03078, waukegan
- walgreens 03749, waukegan
- walgreens 04940, round lake beach
- walgreens 5829, zion
- walgreen's 4067, buffalo grove
- walgreens 00528, lake forest
- walgreens 01438, bannockburn
- walgreens 02137, beach park
- walgreens 02213, lake zurich
- walgreens 02985, grayslake
- walgreens 03320, fox lake
- walgreens 04097, gurnee
- walgreens 04277, wauconda
- walgreens 04464, lake zurich
- walgreens 04674, vernon hills
- walgreens 04778, mundelein
- walgreens 04988, buffalo grove
- walgreens 05045, deerfield
- walgreens 05056, gurnee
- walgreens 05106, grayslake
- walgreens 05108, lake villa
- walgreens 05256, lincolnshire
- walgreens 05257, libertyville
- walgreens 05258, libertyville
- walgreens 05428, highland park
- walgreens 05830, mundelein
- walgreens 06819, lake bluff
- walgreens 06905, lindenhurst
- walgreens 07824, hainesville
- walgreens 10122, mundelein
- walgreens 11367, lakemoor
- walgreens 11662, barrington
- walgreens 15261, antioch
- walgreens 3273, highland park
- walgreens 5543, highwood
Bakery Specialty · 3
- el pan de la casa, inc., round lake beach
- rubis bakery, waukegan
- yeli's bakery, round lake park
Showing 250 of 410 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Lake County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Lake 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 Lake County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lake County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lake County? ▼
Is Lake County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lake 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.