PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Marion County, IL

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Marion 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).

25.2%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
19.8%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

25.2% of Marion County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
7.0%
households, no vehicle
15.4%
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 Marion County's low-access share at 25.2%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,951 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,026 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 Marion County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Marion County's 25.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,282 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Marion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Marion 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 Marion County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (41.7%) 2 tracts limited (16.7%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (41.7%) Adequate 42% Limited 17% Severe 42% Food-access tier distribution: Marion County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Marion 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 Marion County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,437
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population9,951
Low-Access Share25.2%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,026

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Marion County
IndicatorValue
Population37,000
Median Household Income$61,240
Poverty Rate15.4%near the national average
SNAP Households3,073
SNAP Participation Rate19.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.4%
SNAP participation in Marion County 19.8%

About 19.8% of Marion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.2% 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 3,073 households here.
  • 7.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Marion County

above the national share

5 of Marion County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 41.7% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 9,951 residents, roughly 25.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,026 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (41.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Marion County

Marion County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • biggies general market, centralia
  • casey's general store 1701, odin
  • casey's general store 1797, centralia
  • casey's general store 1871, centralia
  • casey's general store 1874, salem
  • casey's general store 2279, sandoval
  • circle k 4700152, salem
  • circle k 4701349, centralia
  • citgo kkg1, centralia
  • fast stop - patoka, patoka
  • food mart cafe, centralia
  • fuelvend express 11/12/2018, centralia
  • huck's 151, centralia
  • huck's 351, salem
  • iuka general, iuka
  • juqulita tienda mexicana, centralia
  • murphy usa 6882, salem
  • omega general, iuka
  • salem motomart 3122, salem
  • sandoval quickstop 0, sandoval
  • fas mart 555, salem
  • fas mart 556, salem

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 6389, salem
  • dollar general 19992, iuka
  • dollar general 6266, sandoval
  • dollar general 8292, centralia
  • dollar tree 3559, salem
  • dollar general 1122, salem
  • dollar general 19994, centralia
  • dollar general 20692, patoka
  • dollar general 22307, centralia
  • dollar general 24724, kinmundy
  • dollar tree 7127, centralia
  • walgreens 7236, centralia

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • farm fresh, centralia
  • farm fresh, centralia
  • kinmundy general st, kinmundy

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • dan's meat market, centralia
  • produce plus, salem

Super Store · 2

  • farm fresh super market, salem
  • walmart supercenter 198, salem

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 75070 75070, centralia

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 Marion County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Marion 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 Marion County has low food access? ▼
25.2% of residents in Marion 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 Marion County? ▼
19.8% of households in Marion County receive SNAP, covering 3,073 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Marion County? ▼
The poverty rate in Marion County, IL is 15.4%, with a median household income of $61,240 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Marion County a food desert? ▼
5 of Marion County's 12 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 Marion County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.0% of households in Marion 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.