PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · South Dakota

Lincoln County, SD

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.

16.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
3.3%
on SNAP
71K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SD

The food-access picture

16.6% of Lincoln County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

5
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
2.1%
households, no vehicle
5.6%
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 16.6% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,430 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 16.6% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,983).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lincoln County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 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).

Food access tier distribution for Lincoln County, SD USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (54.5%) 5 tracts limited (45.5%) Adequate 55% Limited 45% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Lincoln County, SD
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lincoln County vs. other South Dakota counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Dakota

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Lincoln County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)44,828
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population7,430
Low-Access Share16.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,180

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lincoln County
IndicatorValue
Population70,638
Median Household Income$99,166
Poverty Rate5.6%well below the national average
SNAP Households919
SNAP Participation Rate3.3%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.4%
SNAP participation in Lincoln County 3.3%

About 3.3% of Lincoln County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 3.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 919 households here.
  • 2.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $99,166 with a 5.6% 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 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 7,430 residents, roughly 16.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,180 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (54.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lincoln County

Lincoln County has 43 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • casey's 2189, canton
  • casey's 2586, harrisburg
  • casey's 4268, sioux falls
  • casey's 3872, sioux falls
  • casey's 3944, tea
  • caseys general store 1563, lennox
  • caseys general store 3069, tea
  • cenex zip trip 81, lennox
  • circle k 2746521, sioux falls
  • circle k 2746579, sioux falls
  • cubbys tea 408, tea
  • dba circle k 2746531, harrisburg
  • get n go 14, sioux falls
  • get n go 17, tea
  • get n go 23, sioux falls
  • holiday stationstore 2746489, sioux falls
  • holiday stationstore 2746497, sioux falls
  • holiday stationstore 2746503, sioux falls
  • hy-vee gas 5638, sioux falls
  • kwik star 1274, harrisburg
  • kwik star 1296, harrisburg
  • kwik star 1724, sioux falls
  • mega saver 70, sioux falls
  • onestop tea, tea
  • truck towne travel plaza, beresford

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 10228, canton
  • dollar general 10599, beresford
  • dollar general 19973, tea
  • dollar general 22234, harrisburg
  • dollar general store 16508, lennox
  • dollar tree 8478, sioux falls
  • dollar tree 9316, sioux falls
  • lewis drug 10, sioux falls
  • walgreens 05242, sioux falls

Super Store · 6

  • fareway stores, inc. 178, harrisburg
  • fareway stores, inc. 192, tea
  • hy-vee dollar fresh 1243, harrisburg
  • hy-vee dollar fresh 1655, tea
  • hy-vee food store #6 1638, sioux falls
  • walmart supercenter 2443, sioux falls

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 72022, sioux falls
  • sunshine foods, canton
  • sunshine foods 9034, lennox

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in South Dakota

Aurora County
70.4% low-access · 4.4% SNAP
Beadle County
29.0% low-access · 11.3% SNAP
Bennett County
39.2% low-access · 17.0% SNAP
Bon Homme County
80.2% low-access · 6.3% SNAP
Brookings County
45.4% low-access · 4.4% SNAP
Brown County
42.1% low-access · 8.8% SNAP

Compare Lincoln County vs Aurora County → · All South Dakota counties →

Food access nationally, South Dakota in context

Lincoln County sits inside South Dakota (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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? ▼
16.6% of residents in Lincoln County, SD live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lincoln County? ▼
3.3% of households in Lincoln County receive SNAP, covering 919 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lincoln County, SD is 5.6%, with a median household income of $99,166 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lincoln County a food desert? ▼
0 of Lincoln County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Lincoln County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.1% of households in Lincoln County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.