Signature · 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Mason County, IL
Mason County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 35.6% low-access.
- 35.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 15.5%
- on SNAP
- 13K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Mason County, IL
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 35.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +13.5 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.5% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Macon County (+ 0.4 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Mason County sits in the upper national band (35.6%, #568 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #568
- national by low-access %
- #18
- in IL
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Mason County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mason County's 35.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #570 most-affected nationwide.
Mason County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Mason County has 1 urban and 5 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Mason County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint
- Scott
Scott 66.5%
66.5 % low-access
- Bureau
Bureau 36.6%
36.6 % low-access
- Macon
Macon 36%
36 % low-access
- Mason
Mason 35.6%
35.6 % low-access
- Jackson
Jackson 34.9%
34.9 % low-access
- Brown
Brown 34.5%
34.5 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 14,666 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,225 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,942 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,745 |
| Median Household Income | $62,845 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 898 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
SNAP retailers in Mason County
Mason County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 7
- casey's general store 1394, manito
- casey's general store 1702, havana
- casey's general store 1713, mason city
- circle k 4701225, havana
- country general, manito
- mason city bo, mason city
- thorntons 367, havana
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- cvs pharmacy 7610, havana
- dollar general 10034, manito
- dollar general 2219, havana
- dollar general 3474, mason city
- dollar general 21266, kilbourne
- dollar general 25021, havana
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- mason city market, mason city
Super Store · 1
- county market 447, havana
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Illinois
One of 101 counties in Illinois, 6 are shown here.
Compare Mason County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Counties near Mason County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Mason County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IL (35.6% here).
- Bienville Parish, LA · 35.6% low-access
- Bienville Parish, LA · 35.6% low-access
- St. Bernard Parish, LA · 35.6% low-access
- St. Bernard Parish, LA · 35.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (15.5% here).
- Monroe County, KY · 15.5% SNAP
- Monroe County, KY · 15.5% SNAP
- Stone County, MS · 15.5% SNAP
- Stone County, MS · 15.5% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Mason County inside a higher low-access state context
Mason County sits inside Illinois (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Mason County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17125. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.