County food-access profile · Iowa
Marshall County, IA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Marshall 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).
- 28.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 9.2%
- on SNAP
- 40K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.1% of Marshall County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.2%
- 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 Marshall County's low-access share at 28.1%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,422 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,909 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 Marshall County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Marshall County's 28.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,079 most-affected nationwide.
Marshall County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Marshall County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Marshall County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Marshall
Marshall County, IA
28.1 % low-access
- Adair 8
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee 10.9
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 | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 40,648 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,422 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,909 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 40,114 |
| Median Household Income | $73,315 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,425 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.1% |
About 9.2% of Marshall County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,425 households here.
- 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Marshall County
above the national share
3 of Marshall County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 11,422 residents, roughly 28.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,909 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marshall County
Marshall County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 20
- casey's general store 1414, state center
- casey's general store 1441, marshalltown
- casey's general store 1564, marshalltown
- casey's general store 2543, albion
- casey's general store 3228, marshalltown
- casey's general store 3508, marshall town
- caseys general store 1303, marshalltown
- depot grocery, marshalltown
- eastside liquor and grocery 1, marshalltown
- food & gas mart, marshalltown
- git-n-go 34, marshalltown
- git-n-go 35, marshalltown
- hanumanta inc, le grand
- hy-vee gas 5403, marshalltown
- kwik star 394, marshalltown
- kwik star 607, marshalltown
- kwik star 706, marshalltown
- prime stop, melbourne
- the depot express, gilman
- yesway 1148, marshalltown
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 2019, marshalltown
- dollar general 21858, marshalltown
- dollar general 23804, le grand
- dollar general 24997, albion
- dollar general 4206, marshalltown
- dollar tree 1028, marshalltown
- family dollar 2186, marshalltown
- first store, marshalltown
- walgreens 3196, marshalltown
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- abarrotes la salud, marshalltown
- golden karen, marshalltown
- golden land asian food inc, marshalltown
- grocery store y tortilleria la vecindad, marshalltown
- state center hometown foods, state center
- zamora fresh market, marshalltown
Super Store · 3
- fareway stores, inc. 467, marshalltown
- hy-vee food and drugstore 1403, marshalltown
- walmart sc 581, marshalltown
Farmers' Market · 1
- marshalltown farmers market, marshalltown
Large Grocery Store · 1
- supermarket villachuato, marshalltown
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 72043, marshalltown
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Compare Marshall County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Marshall 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 Marshall County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Marshall County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Marshall County? ▼
Is Marshall County a food desert? ▼
What share of Marshall 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.