County food-access profile · Illinois
McLean County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of McLean 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).
- 30.7%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 10.3%
- on SNAP
- 172K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.7% of McLean County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 41 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
- 5.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.9%
- 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 McLean County's low-access share at 30.7%, above the national share. 17 of the county's 41 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 52,059 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,890 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 McLean County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, McLean County's 30.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #896 most-affected nationwide.
McLean County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 41 census tracts in McLean County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
McLean County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- McLean
McLean County, IL
30.7 % 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 | 41 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 169,572 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 52,059 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,890 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 171,556 |
| Median Household Income | $79,905 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,245 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.4% |
About 10.3% of McLean County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,245 households here.
- 5.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 McLean County
above the national share
8 of McLean County's 41 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.5% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 17.
An estimated 52,059 residents, roughly 30.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,890 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 24 tracts (58.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in McLean County
McLean County has 125 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 61 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 61
- 4700129.0 129, bloomington
- 707 food & liquor, normal
- 707 liquors & mart, normal
- 707 liquors & mart 3 3, normal
- bloomington fast stop, bloomington
- bloomington shell, bloomington
- brake time, mc lean
- brake time 223629, gridley
- casey's 2819, hudson
- casey's general store 3901, lexington
- casey's 2851, heyworth
- casey's general store 1420, colfax
- casey's general store 1457, saybrook
- casey's general store 1630, chenoa
- casey's general store 1655, normal
- casey's general store 1721, bloomington
- casey's general store 1764, bloomington
- casey's general store 2267, normal
- casey's general store 2554, bloomington
- casey's general store 2934, normal
- casey's general store 3538, le roy
- circle k 1251, bloomington
- circle k 21, normal
- circle k 4700139, normal
- circle k 4700150, normal
- circle k 4701204, normal
- circle k 4701210, bloomington
- circle k 4701211, bloomington
- circle k 4701407, bloomington
- circle k 4701414, normal
- circle k 4701421, bloomington
- fast stop, normal
- fast stop, bloomington
- franzetti's pantry plus na, bloomington
- hot spot grocery and liquor, bloomington
- huck's 186, heyworth
- huck's 353, bloomington
- huck's 355, bloomington
- huck's 360, bloomington
- hy-vee c-store 5035, bloomington
- lexington c store, lexington
- love's travel stop 367, le roy
- love's travel stop 867, normal
- main street convenience, bloomington
- meijer gas station 207, normal
- murphy usa 6827, bloomington
- najah enterprises inc, chenoa
- one stop market plus i corp. 1, bloomington
- pilot travel center 299, bloomington
- qik-n-ez # 62, bloomington
- qik-n-ez convenience store 72, normal
- qik n ez 60, normal
- quiktrip 7193, bloomington
- red & blue shop ii corp 1, bloomington
- road ranger 185, mclean
- shell, le roy
- shell food shop, chenoa
- south of chicago groceries llc, bloomington
- thorntons 360, bloomington
- thorntons 361, bloomington
- west market groceries, bloomington
Combination Grocery/Other · 32
- aalaya foods llc, bloomington
- college hills meats inc, normal
- cvs 7017, bloomington
- cvs 7020, normal
- cvs 8043, normal
- dollar general 7307, normal
- dollar general 7462, heyworth
- dollar general 9247, bloomington
- dollar tree 0744, bloomington
- dollartree 11022, bloomington
- dollartree 3008, bloomington
- dollar general 12164, chenoa
- dollar general 12420, bloomington
- dollar general 13635, lexington
- dollar general 16019, bloomington
- dollar general 20722, gridley
- dollar general 21006, colfax
- dollar general 21046, bloomington
- dollar general 21771, hudson
- dollar general 21881, bloomington
- dollar general 30383, saybrook
- dollar general 4092, le roy
- dollar general store 16478, normal
- dollar tree 2379, bloomington
- dollar tree 3540, normal
- family dollar store 1742, bloomington
- walgreens 9983, bloomington
- walgreens 05188, bloomington
- walgreens 09313, normal
- walgreens 11828, bloomington
- walgreens 12396, normal
- walgreens 15164, bloomington
Super Store · 12
- fresh thyme market 110blm, bloomington
- hy-vee 1035, bloomington
- kroger 347, normal
- kroger 856, bloomington
- kroger 943, bloomington
- meijer inc 207, normal
- schnucks - bloomington 706, bloomington
- sam's club 4815, normal
- schnucks # 729, normal
- target store 137, normal
- walmart supercenter 3459, bloomington
- walmart supercenter 1125, normal
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 68054 68054, bloomington
- aldi 68055, bloomington
- aldi 75032 75032, normal
- jewel food store 116, bloomington
- jewel food store 3073, normal
- jewel food store 3775, bloomington
- kirby foods leroy iga 302, le roy
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- iga heyworth, heyworth
- lupitas hispanic & american grocery inc, bloomington
- luz's market, normal
- signature india grocery, bloomington
- spice venue, normal
Large Grocery Store · 3
- green top grocery, bloomington
- la mexicana grocery inc, bloomington
- lexington finer foods & liquor, lexington
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's pizza il004, normal
- papa murphy's pizza il008, bloomington
Farmers' Market · 2
- downtown bloomington farmers' market, bloomington
- le roy farmer's market, le roy
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- bloomington meats, bloomington
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare McLean County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
McLean 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 McLean County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in McLean County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in McLean County? ▼
Is McLean County a food desert? ▼
What share of McLean 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.