County food-access profile · Illinois
Macon County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Macon County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 36.0%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 19.8%
- on SNAP
- 102K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
36.0% of Macon County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 34 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 9.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.0%
- 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).
USDA data puts Macon County's low-access share at 36.0%, above the national share. 17 of the county's 34 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 39,867 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,390 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 Macon County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Macon County's 36.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #554 most-affected nationwide.
Macon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 34 census tracts in Macon County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Macon County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Macon
Macon County, IL
36 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 34 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 110,768 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 39,867 |
| Low-Access Share | 36.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,390 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 101,849 |
| Median Household Income | $62,666 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,595 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.5%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
About 19.8% of Macon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 36.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,595 households here.
- 9.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Macon County
above the national share
4 of Macon County's 34 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.8% of all its tracts.
A further 13 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 17.
An estimated 39,867 residents, roughly 36.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,390 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Macon County
Macon County has 114 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 59 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 59
- a1 food and liquor, decatur
- billingsley's 66 elite wash west, decatur
- bp decatur, decatur
- bp one stop, decatur
- casey's 2203, decatur
- casey's 2825, maroa
- casey's general store 1409, argenta
- casey's general store 1760, blue mound
- casey's general store 1766, decatur
- casey's general store 1913, warrensburg
- casey's general store 1939, decatur
- casey's general store 2591, mt zion
- casey's general store 3646, forsyth
- circle k 45, forsyth
- circle k 4700151, decatur
- circle k 4701253, decatur
- circle k 4701254, decatur
- circle k 4701302, decatur
- circle k 4701313, decatur
- circle k 4701409, decatur
- circle k 4701441, decatur
- corner gas station,llc, decatur
- decatur discount, decatur
- famous mount zion, mt zion
- grand discount food and tabacco, decatur
- haymakers 724, decatur
- hickory street mini mart, decatur
- huck's 173, mt zion
- huck's 287, decatur
- jb's grocery & liquor, decatur
- juniors discount, decatur
- kps mart inc, decatur
- lakeshore stop, decatur
- love's travel stop 746, decatur
- mlk store, decatur
- macon petroleum, macon
- melisty mart, oreana
- monroe quick stop, decatur
- niantic market, niantic
- prairie pantry, decatur
- price rite food and liquor, decatur
- pilot travel center 368, decatur
- pinoy asian mart and takeout, decatur
- price rite food and liquor, decatur
- quick grab mart, decatur
- rapid stop discount llc, decatur
- rays corner mart, decatur
- sam mini mart, decatur
- samma market, decatur
- shell one stop 1, decatur
- the perfect pair, warrensburg
- thorntons 381, decatur
- thorntons 382, decatur
- tobacco shack, decatur
- united discount, decatur
- university liquor, decatur
- walnut gas inc, decatur
- wood plaza mart, decatur
- wyckles fuel mart, decatur
Combination Grocery/Other · 33
- cvs 4857, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 8632, decatur
- cvs pharmacy 8648, decatur
- dollar general 0146, decatur
- dollar general 2721, decatur
- dollar general 4836, mt zion
- dollar general 4887, decatur
- dollar general 6327, macon
- dollar general 6678, decatur
- dollar general 14924, decatur
- dollar general 14998, decatur
- dollar general 15040, maroa
- dollar general 15856, decatur
- dollar general 16477, decatur
- dollar general 2066, decatur
- dollar general 21625, warrensburg
- dollar general 21882, decatur
- dollar general 22086, oreana
- dollar general 22554, blue mound
- dollar general 24539, mt zion
- dollar general 30905, forsyth
- dollar tree 2499, decatur
- dollar tree 4806, decatur
- dollar tree 563, forsyth
- dollar tree 737, decatur
- family dollar store 1201, decatur
- family dollar store 1819, decatur
- macon county rural king supply 37, decatur
- walgreens 5545, decatur
- walgreens 5719, decatur
- walgreens 9792, decatur
- walgreens 13921, decatur
- walgreens 5388, decatur
Super Store · 9
- county market express 341, decatur
- kroger 922, decatur
- kroger 946, decatur
- kroger j-924, decatur
- sam's club 6334, decatur
- save-a-lot 45160, decatur
- target store 1951, decatur
- walmart supercenter 1690, decatur
- walmart supercenter 2728, decatur
Small Grocery Store · 4
- east side convenient market, decatur
- homerun general stores inc, decatur
- in -&- out, decatur
- maffit mart inc, decatur
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 68028 68028, decatur
- aldi 68048 68048, decatur
- save-a-lot 24088, decatur
Farmers' Market · 2
- good samaritan inn's mercy market, decatur
- richland farmers market, decatur
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- notorious meats, decatur
- the house of meats, decatur
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys pizza il050, decatur
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- tennessee meat inc, decatur
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Macon County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Macon County sits inside Illinois (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 Macon County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Macon County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Macon County? ▼
Is Macon County a food desert? ▼
What share of Macon 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.