PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Livingston County, IL

Livingston 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.

16.2%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.7%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

16.2% of Livingston County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.5%
households, no vehicle
10.5%
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).

Livingston County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.2% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,315 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,530 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 Livingston County compares nationally

Livingston County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.2% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,016).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Livingston County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Livingston 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 Livingston County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (40.0%) 4 tracts limited (40.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 40% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Livingston County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Livingston County vs. other Illinois counties

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

% 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 Livingston County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,950
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,315
Low-Access Share16.2%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,530

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Livingston County
IndicatorValue
Population35,565
Median Household Income$73,790
Poverty Rate10.5%below the national average
SNAP Households2,146
SNAP Participation Rate14.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.7%
SNAP participation in Livingston County 14.7%

About 14.7% of Livingston County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,146 households here.
  • 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Livingston County

near the national share

2 of Livingston County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 6,315 residents, roughly 16.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,530 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Livingston County

Livingston County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • 55 northeast corp, pontiac
  • casey's general store 1341, cornell
  • casey's general store 1348, flanagan
  • casey's general store 1452, chatsworth
  • casey's general store 1494, cullom
  • casey's general store 2172, dwight
  • casey's general store 2507, pontiac
  • casey's general store 2633, fairbury
  • casey's general store 2927, forrest
  • circle k 4701433, fairbury
  • jamies market, forrest
  • jensen's bp, odell
  • love's travel stop 292, dwight
  • odellfast stop, odell
  • ricky rockets fuel center, pontiac
  • shiva marathon, saunemin
  • shrey gas llc, pontiac
  • thorntons 366, pontiac

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs pharmacy 10624, fairbury
  • cvs pharmacy 10738, pontiac
  • cvs/pharmacy 10607, dwight
  • dollar general 18052, streator
  • dollar general 2046, pontiac
  • dollar tree 3756, pontiac
  • dollar general 16018, chatsworth
  • dollar general 22189, flanagan
  • dollar general 22690, saunemin
  • dollar general 8470, fairbury
  • family dollar 11388, fairbury
  • family dollar store 4022, dwight
  • walgreens 05460, pontiac

Super Store · 4

  • berkot's super foods 320, dwight
  • county market 329, pontiac
  • dave's super market, inc, fairbury
  • walmart 1386, pontiac

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • cullom community market, cullom

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • bart's supermarket, flanagan

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 68051, pontiac

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Livingston County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Livingston County sits inside Illinois (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 Livingston County has low food access? ▼
16.2% of residents in Livingston County, IL 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 Livingston County? ▼
14.7% of households in Livingston County receive SNAP, covering 2,146 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Livingston County? ▼
The poverty rate in Livingston County, IL is 10.5%, with a median household income of $73,790 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Livingston County a food desert? ▼
2 of Livingston County's 10 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Livingston County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.5% of households in Livingston 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.