County food-access profile · Iowa
Lee County, IA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lee 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).
- 28.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 13.5%
- on SNAP
- 33K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.3% of Lee County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.1%
- 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 Lee County's low-access share at 28.3%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,144 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,587 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 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
All 11 census tracts in Lee County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lee County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Lee
Lee County, IA
28.3 % low-access
- Adair 8
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee 10.9
Allamakee County, IA
10.9 % low-access
- Appanoose
Appanoose County, IA
15.7 % low-access
- Audubon 7.4
Audubon County, IA
7.4 % 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 13.5% of Lee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,939 households here.
- 5.0% 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 Lee County
above the national share
4 of Lee County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 36.4% 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 10,144 residents, roughly 28.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,587 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (36.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Lee County sits inside Iowa (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 Lee County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lee County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lee County? ▼
Is Lee County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lee 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.