County food-access profile · Illinois
Lee County, IL
Lee 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.
- 18.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 15.4%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.9% of Lee County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 6.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.8%
- 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).
Lee County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.9% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,818 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,106 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
Lee County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.9% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,783).
Lee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 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 Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Lee 18.9
Lee County, IL
18.9 % 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 | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,031 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,818 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,106 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 33,869 |
| Median Household Income | $70,292 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,048 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.9% |
About 15.4% of Lee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,048 households here.
- 6.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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
near the national share
1 of Lee County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 6,818 residents, roughly 18.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,106 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) 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 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (62% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- casey's 1153, ashton
- casey's 1256, amboy
- casey's 1466, franklin grove
- casey's 4384, dixon
- casey's general store 1590, paw paw
- casey's general store 1973, dixon
- circle k 4701412, dixon
- dixon mobil 62, dixon
- express lane gas & food mart 1, amboy
- express lane gas & food mart 13, dixon
- expresslane 33, dixon
- expresslane 80, sublette
- hometown pantry, dixon
- huffy's gas station, dixon
- mkam gas & food llc, dixon
- mimini's general store, ashton
- murphy usa 7954, dixon
- road ranger 265, dixon
- sublette general store llc, sublette
- third street citgo gas station, dixon
- zariz inc 1, dixon
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 18506, amboy
- dollar general 7204, dixon
- dollar general 7900, dixon
- dollar tree 3523, dixon
- dollartree 9813, dixon
- walgreens 02591, dixon
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- amboy food and liquor, amboy
- paw paw fresh market and convenience, paw paw
Super Store · 2
- county market 223, dixon
- walmart supercenter 5399, dixon
Large Grocery Store · 1
- oliver's food pride, dixon
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- prairiesburg fields, inc., sublette
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 68026 68026, dixon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Lee County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Lee 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 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.