County food-access profile · Illinois
McHenry County, IL
McHenry County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 44.3%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 313K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
44.3% of McHenry County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 52 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 34
- low-access tracts
- 20K
- food-desert residents
- 3.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.2%
- 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).
McHenry County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 44.3% is well above the national share. 34 of the county's 52 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 136,741 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 19,795 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 McHenry County compares nationally
McHenry County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 44.3% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #295 most-affected nationwide.
McHenry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 52 census tracts in McHenry County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
McHenry County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- McHenry
McHenry County, IL
44.3 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 52 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 308,760 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 34 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 136,741 |
| Low-Access Share | 44.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 19,795 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 312,591 |
| Median Household Income | $104,802 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,679 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
About 7.4% of McHenry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 44.3% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,679 households here.
- 3.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 McHenry County
well above the national share
2 of McHenry County's 52 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 3.8% of all its tracts.
A further 32 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 34.
An estimated 136,741 residents, roughly 44.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 19,795 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (34.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in McHenry County
McHenry County has 158 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 66 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 66
- 2025 eastwood drive inc, woodstock
- 7 eleven 33884, crystal lake
- 7-eleven 33916a, cary
- 7-eleven 32866c, lake in the hills
- 7-eleven 33878b, crystal lake
- 7-eleven 33922c, island lake
- 7-eleven 41290a, algonquin
- ap petro inc., crystal lake
- ambe gasoline, mchenry
- bp, algonquin
- bull valley bp gei-137, mchenry
- bull valley farm country store, woodstock
- casey's 3835, woodstock
- casey's 3983, crystal lake
- casey's 6440, lake in the hills
- cary food & liquor, cary
- casey's 3376, harvard
- casey's 3982, spring grove
- casey's 3993, marengo
- casey's 6441, mchenry
- casey's 6939, crystal lake
- casey's general store 3539, crystal lake
- circle k 4706720, crystal lake
- circle k 4706725, crystal lake
- circle k 4706831, woodstock
- circle k 4706865, algonquin
- circle k 4706892, marengo
- clake gas station llc, crystal lake
- country cupboard food shoppe, woodstock
- crystal lake food mart, crystal lake
- crystal lake gas inc, crystal lake
- expresslane 60, marengo
- family food mart, mchenry
- fox river mobil inc, fox river grove
- graham c-stores co - wonder lake 111, wonder lake
- huntley mobil 81, huntley
- johnsburg quik shop gei-196, johnsburg
- mchenry bp gei-154, mchenry
- mchenry marathon, mchenry
- meijer gas station 206, algonquin
- meijer gas station 218, mchenry
- murphy usa 7526, mchenry
- murphy usa 7579, woodstock
- murphy usa 7600, crystal lake
- nicks general store, crystal lake
- noxxe fuel, inc 1, harvard
- om gasoline inc, johnsburg
- pantry & liquor, algonquin
- quick beverage, woodstock
- richmond quik shop gei-118, richmond
- sbc business inc, harvard
- seminary mobil llc, woodstock
- shell woodstock, woodstock
- speedway 5004, lake in the hills
- sunrise convenience inc, cary
- trio 138, mchenry
- thorntons #0342 0342, huntley
- thorntons #221309 221309, lakemoor
- thorntons #221316 221316, algonquin
- thorntons 115, cary
- thorntons 119, lake in the hills
- thorntons 221343, crystal lake
- thorntons 221344, mchenry
- thorntons 221347, cary
- woodstock bp gei-155, woodstock
- woodstock food mart, woodstock
Combination Grocery/Other · 39
- bombay mart, algonquin
- cvs 5619, cary
- cvs 7970, lake in the hills
- cvs pharmacy 10470, mchenry
- cvs pharmacy 10628, crystal lake
- cvs pharmacy 3790, crystal lake
- dollar general 10269, cary
- dollar general 17204, harvard
- dollar general 4063, mchenry
- dollartree 9112, crystal lake
- dollartree plus 9215, wonder lake
- dollar general 10828, woodstock
- dollar general 17208, wonder lake
- dollar general 22470, richmond
- dollar general 25616, mchenry
- dollar general 25765, algonquin
- dollar general 3796, marengo
- dollar general store 17292, hebron
- dollar tree 2069, crystal lake
- dollar tree 2720, mchenry
- dollar tree 4079, algonquin
- dollar tree 4373, algonquin
- dollar tree 6063, woodstock
- dollartree 8927, mchenry
- la huerta carniceria, mchenry
- la rosita supermarket harvard inc, harvard
- walgreens 01994, woodstock
- walgreens 03406, lake in the hills
- walgreens 04040, cary
- walgreens 05284, algonquin
- walgreens 05469, mchenry
- walgreens 06746, crystal lake
- walgreens 07769, spring grove
- walgreens 07860, fox river grove
- walgreens 09059, algonquin
- walgreens 10971, island lake
- walgreens 11411, harvard
- walgreens 11739, huntley
- walgreens 11944, crystal lake
Supermarket · 21
- aldi 40010 40010, crystal lake
- aldi 40023 40023, mchenry
- aldi 40037 40037, algonquin
- aldi 71146 71146, cary
- aldi 78052 78052, woodstock
- angelo's fresh market, mchenry
- angelo's market, johnsburg
- jewel food store 1256, algonquin
- jewel food store 1518, mchenry
- jewel food store 2310, algonquin
- jewel food store 2507, fox river grove
- jewel food store 2517, crystal lake
- jewel food store 3198, huntley
- jewel food store 3415, spring grove
- jewel food store 3496, cary
- jewel food store 3503, woodstock
- la rosita fresh market crystal lake, crystal lake
- sullivan's foods 3164, marengo
- the fresh market 134, crystal lake
- the fresh market 255, algonquin
- trader joe's 699, algonquin
Super Store · 17
- caputo fruit market 588, algonquin
- costco wholesale 0774, lake in the hills
- deli 4 you, algonquin
- fresh thyme market 109crl, crystal lake
- kd fresh market 6, crystal lake
- mariano's 544, crystal lake
- meijer inc 206, algonquin
- meijer inc 218, mchenry
- sam's club 6339, crystal lake
- target store 1166, crystal lake
- target store 1801, algonquin
- walmart 3434, woodstock
- walmart 5060, algonquin
- walmart supercenter 1211, harvard
- walmart supercenter 1377, johnsburg
- walmart supercenter 1413, crystal lake
- walmart supercenter 4641, huntley
Small Grocery Store · 5
- butcher bros. zabiha halal meat and grocery, algonquin
- carniceria y taqueria campos inc, cary
- don chepe store, harvard
- gj yamis food., crystal lake
- village market west n/a, wonder lake
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- carniceria la esperanza, woodstock
- d-kart, algonquin
- prado's market llc, crystal lake
- supermercado el sol, woodstock
Large Grocery Store · 3
- angelo's fresh market, richmond
- carniceria y fruteria la fronterra, harvard
- food shed co-op, woodstock
Bakery Specialty · 1
- del carmen bakery, mchenry
Farmers' Market · 1
- woodstock farmers market nfp, woodstock
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- community farm shops llc, marengo
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare McHenry County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
McHenry County sits inside Illinois (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 McHenry County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in McHenry County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in McHenry County? ▼
Is McHenry County a food desert? ▼
What share of McHenry 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.