PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Macoupin County, IL

Macoupin 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.

12.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.4%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

12.7% of Macoupin County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
13.1%
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).

Macoupin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.7% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,054 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,010 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 Macoupin County compares nationally

Macoupin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.7% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,290).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Macoupin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Macoupin 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 Macoupin County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (76.9%) 2 tracts limited (15.4%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 77% Limited 15% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Macoupin County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Macoupin 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 Macoupin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,765
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,054
Low-Access Share12.7%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,010

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Macoupin County
IndicatorValue
Population44,350
Median Household Income$70,805
Poverty Rate13.1%near the national average
SNAP Households2,712
SNAP Participation Rate15.4%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.0%
SNAP participation in Macoupin County 15.4%

About 15.4% of Macoupin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,712 households here.
  • 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Macoupin County

near the national share

1 of Macoupin County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,054 residents, roughly 12.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,010 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (76.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Macoupin County

Macoupin County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • boente food mart, carlinville
  • boente shell n/a, carlinville
  • bp carlinville, carlinville
  • brighton shell n/a, brighton
  • bucks crossing, medora
  • bunker hill short stop, bunker hill
  • casey's general store 1533, palmyra
  • casey's general store 1547, staunton
  • casey's general store 1573, benld
  • casey's general store 1778, brighton
  • casey's general store 1802, carlinville
  • casey's general store 1839, gillespie
  • casey's general store 1907, virden
  • casey's general store 1956, staunton
  • circle k 4701213, virden
  • circle k 4701216, staunton
  • fast stop, mount olive
  • frank's son station, wilsonville
  • gillespie moto 3112, gillespie
  • gillespie shell n/a, gillespie
  • girard shell n/a, girard
  • mach1 25, staunton
  • fas mart 569, gillespie

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • cvs 10774, staunton
  • dollar general 1077, carlinville
  • dollar general 2588, staunton
  • dollar general 2859, gillespie
  • dollar general 7372, mount olive
  • dollar general 9023, girard
  • dollar general 9205, brighton
  • dollar general 9877, bunker hill
  • dollar general 15432, virden
  • dollar general 15465, palmyra
  • dollar general 19597, benld
  • dollar general 22873, medora
  • dollar general 23185, staunton
  • dollar general 24788, gillespie
  • dollar general 25522, shipman
  • dollar tree 8403, carlinville
  • family dollar 13830, brighton
  • family dollar store 1376, virden

Super Store · 2

  • bills iga foodliner, staunton
  • walmart supercenter 334, carlinville

Supermarket · 2

  • county market 300, girard
  • randy's market, benld

Farmers' Market · 1

  • village of brighton farmers market, brighton

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • meehan bunkerhill, bunker hill

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • starr's primal meats & package liquor, carlinville

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 Macoupin County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Macoupin 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 Macoupin County has low food access? ▼
12.7% of residents in Macoupin 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 Macoupin County? ▼
15.4% of households in Macoupin County receive SNAP, covering 2,712 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Macoupin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Macoupin County, IL is 13.1%, with a median household income of $70,805 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Macoupin County a food desert? ▼
1 of Macoupin County's 13 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 Macoupin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Macoupin 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.