County food-access profile · Indiana
Madison County, IN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Madison 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).
- 35.4%
- low-access pop.
- 12
- food-desert tracts
- 13.8%
- on SNAP
- 132K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
35.4% of Madison County residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 19K
- food-desert residents
- 6.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.4%
- 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 Madison County's low-access share at 35.4%, above the national share. 19 of the county's 37 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 46,555 people. 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 19,346 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 Madison County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Madison County's 35.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #574 most-affected nationwide.
Madison County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 37 census tracts in Madison County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Madison County vs. other Indiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Indiana
- Madison
Madison County, IN
35.4 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, IN
17.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, IN
37.8 % low-access
- Bartholomew
Bartholomew County, IN
36.4 % low-access
- Benton 1.7
Benton County, IN
1.7 % low-access
- Blackford
Blackford County, IN
15.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 37 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 131,636 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 12 |
| Low-Access Population | 46,555 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 19,346 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 131,900 |
| Median Household Income | $63,037 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,365 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.8% |
About 13.8% of Madison County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 35.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,365 households here.
- 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 12 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 Madison County
above the national share
12 of Madison County's 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 32.4% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.
An estimated 46,555 residents, roughly 35.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 19,346 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (48.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Madison County
Madison County has 128 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 70 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 70
- 712 market inc, anderson
- 8th street mini mart, anderson
- a & h star inc, anderson
- an1629 inc, anderson
- anderson pantry inc, anderson
- ap petroleum llc, markleville
- bm express inc, anderson
- casey's 2397, elwood
- casey's general store 2579, alexandria
- central food mart, anderson
- d & d petroleum inc, anderson
- eagle star inc, anderson
- east pantry inc, anderson
- eight star inc, anderson
- elwood food mart inc, elwood
- gasamerica 8079, anderson
- h&j partnership incorporated, elwood
- j & harry petroleum inc, anderson
- jackson14 inc, anderson
- jordans mini market inc 2, anderson
- king mart indy inc, anderson
- la24 inc, ingalls
- lapel food mart llc, lapel
- ll95 inc, anderson
- love & arsh petroleum incorporated, anderson
- love's travel stop 600, pendleton
- lp24 inc, anderson
- madison pantry inc, anderson
- mcclure oil 42, anderson
- mcclure oil 57, elwood
- mcclure oil 38, anderson
- meijer gas station 136, anderson
- ms petro inc, anderson
- ms22 inc, anderson
- my store, anderson
- oo gas n go, inc., pendleton
- pd16 inc, elwood
- pendleton retailers inc, pendleton
- rickers 7502, anderson
- rickers 7505, lapel
- rickers 7506, elwood
- rickers 7507, pendleton
- rickers 7508, frankton
- rickers 7509, anderson
- rickers 7511, anderson
- rickers 7512, alexandria
- rickers 7514, chesterfield
- rickers 7517, anderson
- rickers 7518, anderson
- rickers 7521, anderson
- rickers 7522, anderson
- rickers 7523, anderson
- rickers 7524, pendleton
- rickers 7525, anderson
- snack market, frankton
- speedway 1331, anderson
- speedway 5014, anderson
- speedway 5016 5016, anderson
- speedway 7155, pendleton
- speedway 8023, anderson
- speedway 8024, anderson
- speedway 8025, anderson
- speedway 8026, anderson
- speedway 8040, elwood
- speedway 8072, pendleton
- speedway 8089, anderson
- ssg foodmart inc, alexandria
- sunoco food mart, anderson
- train stop deli, anderson
- village pantry 5375, anderson
Combination Grocery/Other · 35
- cvs 6617, elwood
- cvs 6618, alexandria
- cvs 6638, anderson
- cvs 6640, anderson
- cvs 6656, anderson
- cvs 6658, pendleton
- dollar general 11216, frankton
- dollar general 11281, anderson
- dollar general 1132, alexandria
- dollar general 1471, anderson
- dollar general 18338, anderson
- dollar general 18345, ingalls
- dollar general 18697, alexandria
- dollar general 3160, anderson
- dollar general 8692, chesterfield
- dollar tree 3412, anderson
- dollartree 9354, pendleton
- dollar general 11320, anderson
- dollar general 17206, anderson
- dollar general 20257, elwood
- dollar general 21573, anderson
- dollar general 22911, anderson
- dollar general 22997, markleville
- dollar general 24621, elwood
- dollar general 31364, summitville
- dollar general 4918, pendleton
- dollar general 9288, lapel
- dollar tree 734, anderson
- dollar tree 8271, elwood
- family dollar store 1219, alexandria
- family dollar store 1468, anderson
- family dollar store 6274, anderson
- rose's 533, anderson
- walgreens 07788, anderson
- walgreens 6761, anderson
Super Store · 8
- dollar general market 9856*, elwood
- meijer inc 136, anderson
- needler's fresh market 926, elwood
- needler's fresh market 928, pendleton
- pay less 814, anderson
- pay less 816, anderson
- pay less 848, anderson
- walmart 1728, anderson
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 44082 44082, anderson
- gordon food service store mp047, anderson
- harvest supermarket 6, anderson
- harvest supermarket 7, alexandria
- horner's midtown market, alexandria
Large Grocery Store · 3
- harvest supermarket 1, elwood
- harvest supermarket 10, chesterfield
- harvest supermarket 8, frankton
Farmers' Market · 2
- alexandria farmers and artists market, alexandria
- urban fresh mobile market, anderson
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza in030, anderson
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- south main street fruit market, anderson
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- smith fam frm cus meat in ta smith fam frms the mk, pendleton
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- carniceria el compa, anderson
Small Grocery Store · 1
- tienda & reposteria mary, anderson
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Indiana
Compare Madison County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →
Food access nationally, Indiana in context
Madison County sits inside Indiana (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 Madison County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Madison County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Madison County? ▼
Is Madison County a food desert? ▼
What share of Madison 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.