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 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 #937 most-affected nationwide.
McDonough County's elevated USDA tier split
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
McDonough County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (7 urban, 3 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 3 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
McDonough 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
- McLean
McLean 30.7%
30.7 % low-access
- McDonough
McDonough 29.9%
29.9 % low-access
- Coles
Coles 29.2%
29.2 % low-access
- Iroquois
Iroquois 29.1%
29.1 % low-access
- Pope
Pope 29.1%
29.1 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,612 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,740 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,204 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 26,920 |
| Median Household Income | $52,795 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,680 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.9% |
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 26 authorized stores; Macomb holds 69% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Colchester, Good Hope.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Macomb | 18 | 4 |
| Bushnell | 5 | 1 |
| Colchester | 2 | none |
| Good Hope | 1 | none |
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.
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).
- Whitfield County, GA · 29.9% low-access
- Hillsborough County, FL · 29.9% low-access
- Prowers County, CO · 29.9% low-access
- Richland County, ND · 29.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (14.2% here).
- Delaware County, IN · 14.2% SNAP
- Scott County, IN · 14.2% SNAP
- West Feliciana Parish, LA · 14.2% SNAP
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT · 14.2% 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.
Illinois among East North Central states
Illinois ranks 5th of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.2%). McDonough County, at 29.9%, runs 9.7 pts above the Illinois rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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.