Signature · 3.2% SNAP (2nd pct in IA)
Lyon County, IA
Lyon County lands in the lower national band on low-access (12.8%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 12.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 3.2%
- on SNAP
- 12K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lyon County, IA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 12.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -9.3 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 3.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Chickasaw County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Lyon County lands in the lower national band (12.8%, #2,284 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,284
- national by low-access %
- #61
- in IA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 287
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 3.2% SNAP (2nd pct in IA) (-8.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Lyon County compares nationally
Lyon County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.8% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,284).
Lyon County's lower-band USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 3 of Lyon 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.
Lyon County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Mills 13.3
Mills 13.3%
13.3 % low-access
- Lyon 12.8
Lyon 12.8%
12.8 % low-access
- Chickasaw 12.6
Chickasaw 12.6%
12.6 % low-access
- Wright 12.4
Wright 12.4%
12.4 % low-access
- O'Brien 12
O'Brien 12%
12 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,581 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,478 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 287 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,162 |
| Median Household Income | $76,746 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 144 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
SNAP retailers in Lyon County
Lyon County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 9 authorized stores; George holds 33% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Rock Rapids, Inwood.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| George | 3 | 1 |
| Rock Rapids | 3 | none |
| Larchwood | 2 | 1 |
| Inwood | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 19990, larchwood
- dollar general 21168, george
- dollar general 4555, rock rapids
- sunshine foods, rock rapids
Convenience Store · 3
- casey's 1536, george
- casey's 4539, rock rapids
- oak street station llc, inwood
Large Grocery Store · 1
- total stop food store, george
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- larchwood food center, larchwood
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.
Counties near Lyon County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Lyon County (3.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (12.8% here).
- Itawamba County, MS · 12.8% low-access
- Morgan County, TN · 12.8% low-access
- Carroll County, IL · 12.9% low-access
- Franklin County, ME · 12.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (3.2% here).
- Putnam County, NY · 3.2% SNAP
- Botetourt County, VA · 3.2% SNAP
- Loudoun County, VA · 3.2% SNAP
- Nemaha County, KS · 3.3% 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%). Lyon County, at 12.8%, runs 7.2 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 Lyon County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19119. 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.