PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Nebraska

Madison County, NE

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).

29.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.5%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NE

The food-access picture

29.6% of Madison County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.9%
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).

USDA data puts Madison County's low-access share at 29.6%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,308 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,727 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 29.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #960 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Madison County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 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).

Food access tier distribution for Madison County, NE USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 4 tracts limited (44.4%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 44% Limited 44% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Madison County, NE
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Madison County vs. other Nebraska counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nebraska

% 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 Madison County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)34,876
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population10,308
Low-Access Share29.6%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,727

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Madison County
IndicatorValue
Population35,532
Median Household Income$63,128
Poverty Rate13.1%near the national average
SNAP Households1,236
SNAP Participation Rate8.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.8%
SNAP participation in Madison County 8.5%

About 8.5% of Madison County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,236 households here.
  • 6.9% 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 Madison County

above the national share

1 of Madison County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 10,308 residents, roughly 29.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,727 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Madison County

Madison County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 10 locations (29% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • bodegon del chino, norfolk
  • cvs pharmacy 10293, norfolk
  • dollar general 0877, norfolk
  • dollar general 18026, battle creek
  • dollar general 22901, norfolk
  • dollar general 23483, norfolk
  • dollar general 23974, madison
  • dollar general 2770, norfolk
  • dollar tree 2721, norfolk
  • walgreens 04531, norfolk

Convenience Store · 8

  • casey's 2710, norfolk
  • casey's general store 2370, norfolk
  • casey's general store 2885, norfolk
  • love's travel stop 680, norfolk
  • np mart 20 13, norfolk
  • np mart 22 22, norfolk
  • speedee mart 2842, norfolk
  • speedee mart 2855, norfolk

Super Store · 5

  • hy-vee food store 1460, norfolk
  • hy-vee food store 1461, norfolk
  • lou's thrifty way market, norfolk
  • target stores t- 0856, norfolk
  • walmart sc 0645, norfolk

Small Grocery Store · 4

  • asian market 1, madison
  • la guerita, madison
  • la hacienda grocery store 1, madison
  • tienda centro americana 2 hermanos, norfolk

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • la macarena, norfolk
  • shell creek market 1894, newman grove
  • tienda leons, norfolk

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys pizza, norfolk

Farmers' Market · 1

  • norfolk farmers market, norfolk

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • choice foods, madison

Supermarket · 1

  • thriftway market, tilden

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Nebraska

Adams County
35.0% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Antelope County
12.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP
Arthur County
100.0% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Banner County
98.5% low-access · 1.3% SNAP
Blaine County
100.0% low-access
Boone County
12.3% low-access · 3.9% SNAP

Compare Madison County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →

Food access nationally, Nebraska in context

Madison County sits inside Nebraska (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 Madison County has low food access? ▼
29.6% of residents in Madison County, NE 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 Madison County? ▼
8.5% of households in Madison County receive SNAP, covering 1,236 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Madison County? ▼
The poverty rate in Madison County, NE is 13.1%, with a median household income of $63,128 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Madison County a food desert? ▼
1 of Madison County's 9 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 Madison County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.9% of households in Madison 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.