County food-access profile · Nebraska
Lincoln County, NE
Lincoln 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.
- 14.4%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.6%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.4% of Lincoln County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 4.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.4%
- 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).
Lincoln County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,209 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Lincoln County compares nationally
Lincoln County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.4% low-access share that beats 31% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,165).
Lincoln County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Lincoln County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lincoln County vs. other Nebraska counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nebraska
- Lincoln 14.4
Lincoln County, NE
14.4 % low-access
- Adams 35
Adams County, NE
35 % low-access
- Antelope 12.9
Antelope County, NE
12.9 % low-access
- Arthur
Arthur County, NE
100 % low-access
- Banner
Banner County, NE
98.5 % low-access
- Blaine
Blaine County, NE
100 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,288 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,209 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,138 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 33,802 |
| Median Household Income | $65,148 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,730 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.6%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 11.6% of Lincoln County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,730 households here.
- 4.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $65,148 with a 12.4% poverty rate.
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 Lincoln County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 5,209 residents, roughly 14.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,138 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lincoln County
Lincoln County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 17
- casey's general store 1759, north platte
- casey's general store 1914, north platte
- casey's general store 2163, north platte
- fast stop 1151 inc., hershey
- fast stop 1155, sutherland
- fast stop 1159, sutherland
- kwik stop 04, north platte
- kwik stop 05, north platte
- kwik stop 07, north platte
- kwik stop 1, north platte
- kwik stop 16, hershey
- kwik stop 2, north platte
- kwik stop 3, north platte
- loves travel stop 390, north platte
- natural nutrition house, north platte
- pilot travel center 687, north platte
- pump & pantry 39, north platte
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 15980, sutherland
- dollar general 9509, north platte
- dollar tree 2394, north platte
- family dollar 5173, north platte
- walgreens 12405, north platte
Super Store · 3
- fresh foods 8, north platte
- fresh foods 9, north platte
- walmart sc 1585, north platte
Large Grocery Store · 2
- macs super foods, wallace
- maline's superfoods 9431, sutherland
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza ne036, north platte
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- hershey super foods, hershey
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Nebraska
Compare Lincoln County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Food access nationally, Nebraska in context
Lincoln County sits inside Nebraska (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 Lincoln County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lincoln County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln County? ▼
Is Lincoln County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lincoln 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.