County food-access profile · Iowa
Mahaska County, IA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Mahaska 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).
- 25.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.0%
- on SNAP
- 22K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.6% of Mahaska County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 4.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.6%
- 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 Mahaska County's low-access share at 25.6%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 5,722 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,875 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 Mahaska County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mahaska County's 25.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 60% of them and ranked #1,246 most-affected nationwide.
Mahaska County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Mahaska County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mahaska County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Mahaska
Mahaska County, IA
25.6 % low-access
- Adair 8
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee
Allamakee County, IA
10.9 % low-access
- Appanoose
Appanoose County, IA
15.7 % low-access
- Audubon 7.4
Audubon County, IA
7.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 22,381 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,722 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,875 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 22,021 |
| Median Household Income | $70,940 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,134 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.5% |
About 13.0% of Mahaska County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,134 households here.
- 4.0% 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 Mahaska County
above the national share
1 of Mahaska County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 5,722 residents, roughly 25.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,875 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mahaska County
Mahaska County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- casey's general store 1546, fremont
- casey's general store 1682, oskaloosa
- casey's general store 2350, oskaloosa
- casey's general store 2366, oskaloosa
- casey's general store 2478, new sharon
- casey's general store 3214, oskaloosa
- casey's general store 3215, oskaloosa
- kwik star 1727, oskaloosa
- murphy usa 7005, oskaloosa
- stopngo, oskaloosa
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 2070, oskaloosa
- dollar general 21310, new sharon
- dollar general 2727, oskaloosa
- dollar tree 2768, oskaloosa
Super Store · 3
- fareway stores, inc. 625, oskaloosa
- hy-vee food store 1481, oskaloosa
- walmart 1393, oskaloosa
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- grubbys kettle korn, oskaloosa
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- east market grocery inc., new sharon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Compare Mahaska County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Mahaska County sits inside Iowa (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 Mahaska County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mahaska County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mahaska County? ▼
Is Mahaska County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mahaska 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.