Signature · 4 LILA tracts (36.4% of tracts)
Lee County, IA
Lee County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (36.4% of the book) alongside 28.3% low-access.
- 28.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 13.5%
- on SNAP
- 33K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lee County, IA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 28.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 36% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Warren County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Lee County ranks #1,062 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #16 of 98 counties in IA (28.3% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,062
- national by low-access %
- #16
- in IA
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- 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 LILA tracts (36.4% of tracts) .
How Lee County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lee County's 28.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,063 most-affected nationwide.
Lee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Lee County has 7 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Lee County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Cass 28.7
Cass 28.7%
28.7 % low-access
- Lee 28.3
Lee 28.3%
28.3 % low-access
- Warren 28.2
Warren 28.2%
28.2 % low-access
- Marshall 28.1
Marshall 28.1%
28.1 % low-access
- Black Hawk 27.5
Black Hawk 27.5%
27.5 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 35,862 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,144 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,587 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,893 |
| Median Household Income | $62,382 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,939 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Lee County
Lee County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 17
- casey's general store 2023, fort madison
- casey's general store 2318, montrose
- casey's general store 2319, fort madison
- casey's general store 2595, keokuk
- casey's general store 2614, donnellson
- casey's general store 2636, keokuk
- fort madison tobacco & liquor outlet plus, fort madison
- ft. madison fast beak 14, fort madison
- garner one stop, montrose
- hy-vee gas 5202, fort madison
- hy-vee gas 5324, keokuk
- jet stop houghton 900, houghton
- jet stop west point 950, west point
- mod convenience store, fort madison
- mod convenience store inc 1, keokuk
- sonnys super market, west point
- west k mart, keokuk
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- dollar general 12944, montrose
- dollar general 15777, fort madison
- dollar general 17637, donnellson
- dollar general 20028, west point
- dollar general 2194, fort madison
- dollar general 2385, keokuk
- dollar tree 3862, keokuk
- dollar tree 6717, fort madison
- walgreens 11759, fort madison
- walgreens 5886, keokuk
Super Store · 4
- fareway stores, inc. 177, fort madison
- hy-vee food store 1202, fort madison
- hy-vee food store 1324, keokuk
- walmart 1431, keokuk
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 41015, keokuk
- aldi 41077, fort madison
Seafood Specialty · 1
- mafab inc. 1, montrose
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.
Nationwide peers for Lee County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Lee County, both outside Iowa so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (28.3% here).
- Gem County, ID · 28.3% low-access
- Gem County, ID · 28.3% low-access
- Adams County, MS · 28.3% low-access
- Adams County, MS · 28.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (13.5% here).
- Vigo County, IN · 13.5% SNAP
- Vigo County, IN · 13.5% SNAP
- Clark County, KY · 13.5% SNAP
- Clark County, KY · 13.5% 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.
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Lee County sits inside Iowa (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Lee County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19111. 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.