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Signature · 5 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)

McDonough County, IL

McDonough County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 5 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 29.9% low-access.

29.9%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
14.2%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

USDA FARA access plate

County McDonough County, IL

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-ELEVATED 29.9% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +7.8 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 14.2% SNAP
  • VEH-GAP 9.4% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Coles County ( -0.7 pts)

Upper-band low-access

McDonough County sits in the upper national band (29.9%, #937 of 3,079) with 5 LILA tracts.

#937
national by low-access %
#31
in IL
8
low-access tracts
3K
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: 5 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .

How McDonough County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, McDonough County's 29.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #941 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

McDonough County's elevated USDA tier split

10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for McDonough County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (20.0%) 3 tracts limited (30.0%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 20% Limited 30% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: McDonough County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, McDonough County has 7 urban and 3 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.

McDonough County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for McDonough County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,612
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population9,740
Low-Access Share29.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,204

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for McDonough County
IndicatorValue
Population26,920
Median Household Income$52,795
Poverty Rate17.2%above the national average
SNAP Households1,680
SNAP Participation Rate14.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.4%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population9.9%

Thick SNAP store book in McDonough County

McDonough County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 13

  • ayerco convenience center 22, macomb
  • bushnell food mart inc, bushnell
  • casey's general store 1754, bushnell
  • casey's general store 1815, macomb
  • casey's general store 2440, colchester
  • casey's general store 3338, macomb
  • circle k 1331, macomb
  • haymakers 767, macomb
  • hy-vee gas 5420, macomb
  • lafayette mart, macomb
  • navi food mart llc 1, good hope
  • sherpa stop, macomb
  • west pierce liquor, macomb

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • cvs pharmacy 8654, macomb
  • dollar general 21271, macomb
  • dollar general 9734, bushnell
  • dollar general store 12848, colchester
  • dollar tree 1199, macomb
  • family dollar 13619, bushnell
  • walgreens 02206, macomb

Super Store · 2

  • hy-vee foods 1420, macomb
  • walmart supercenter 197, macomb

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 68003 68003, macomb
  • bushnell market, bushnell

Farmers' Market · 1

  • macomb farmers market, macomb

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • jackson street market, macomb

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.

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 McDonough County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Counties near McDonough County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for McDonough 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 (29.9% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (14.2% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

McDonough County inside a higher low-access state context

McDonough County sits inside Illinois (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; 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

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 McDonough County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17109. 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.