Signature · 13.7% SNAP (97th pct in IA)
Louisa County, IA
Louisa County stands out on SNAP (13.7%, +1.6 pts vs U.S.) with 1.1% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 1.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 13.7%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Louisa County, IA
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 1.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -21.0 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Ida County (+ 0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Louisa County lands in the lower national band (1.1%, #3,003 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #3,003
- national by low-access %
- #98
- in IA
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 37
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 13.7% SNAP (97th pct in IA) (+1.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Louisa County compares nationally
Food access in Louisa County compares favorably nationally: its 1.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 4% of them (rank #3,003).
Louisa County's lower-band USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 3 of Louisa County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Louisa County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Clayton 2.5
Clayton 2.5%
2.5 % low-access
- Sioux 1.5
Sioux 1.5%
1.5 % low-access
- Ida 1.3
Ida 1.3%
1.3 % low-access
- Louisa 1.1
Louisa 1.1%
1.1 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,387 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 130 |
| Low-Access Share | 1.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 37 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,678 |
| Median Household Income | $77,354 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 581 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Louisa County
Louisa County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 15 authorized stores; Columbus Junction holds 60% of them. 2 of the 3 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Wapello, Morning Sun.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Junction | 9 | 2 |
| Wapello | 5 | none |
| Morning Sun | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 6
- casey's 2498, wapello
- casey's 3449, wapello
- casey's general store 2659, columbus junction
- caseys general store 074, morning sun
- new york dollar store, columbus junction
- two rivers market, columbus junction
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- asian grocery store, columbus junction
- dollar general 6380, wapello
- dollar general 6708, columbus junction
- family dollar 13148, columbus junction
- family dollar 13292, wapello
Farmers' Market · 1
- johnny's local produce, wapello
Large Grocery Store · 1
- economart, columbus junction
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- five star grocery store, columbus junction
Small Grocery Store · 1
- santisima trinidad, columbus junction
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Iowa
One of 98 counties in Iowa, 6 are shown here.
Compare Louisa County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Counties near Louisa County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Louisa County (13.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (1.1% here).
- Jefferson County, KS · 1.1% low-access
- Orange County, IN · 1.1% low-access
- Perry County, KY · 1.1% low-access
- Bradford County, FL · 1.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (13.7% here).
- Madison County, IL · 13.7% SNAP
- Logan County, KY · 13.7% SNAP
- Crawford County, IL · 13.7% SNAP
- Screven County, GA · 13.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Louisa County, at 1.1%, runs 18.9 pts below the Iowa rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Louisa County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19115. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.