Signature · 9.9% SNAP (15th pct in IL)
Mercer County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Mercer 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).
- 22.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 9.9%
- on SNAP
- 15K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Mercer County, IL
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 22.8% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Jersey County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Mercer County ranks #1,463 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #50 of 102 counties in IL (22.8% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,463
- national by low-access %
- #50
- in IL
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 9.9% SNAP (15th pct in IL) (-2.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Mercer County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mercer County's 22.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,463 most-affected nationwide.
Mercer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Mercer County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Mercer County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint
- Scott
Scott 66.5%
66.5 % low-access
- Perry 23
Perry 23%
23 % low-access
- Lawrence 22.9
Lawrence 22.9%
22.9 % low-access
- Vermilion 22.9
Vermilion 22.9%
22.9 % low-access
- Mercer 22.8
Mercer 22.8%
22.8 % low-access
- Jersey 22.8
Jersey 22.8%
22.8 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,434 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,746 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.8%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,234 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,495 |
| Median Household Income | $74,182 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 652 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Mercer County
Mercer County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
9 towns share the 17 authorized stores; Aledo holds 35% of them. 8 of the 9 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Alexis, Sherrard, Viola, Joy, Keithsburg, Matherville and 2 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Aledo | 6 | 2 |
| Alexis | 2 | none |
| Sherrard | 2 | none |
| Viola | 2 | none |
| Joy | 1 | none |
| Keithsburg | 1 | none |
| Matherville | 1 | none |
| New Boston | 1 | none |
| New Windsor | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 10
- 7-eleven store 34469j, sherrard
- bay c store, new boston
- casey's 2674, viola
- casey's general store 3892, aledo
- caseys general store 1067, keithsburg
- conoco, alexis
- easterville inc, matherville
- mac's 4701222, aledo
- new windsor mart, new windsor
- westmer one stop, joy
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 16282, viola
- dollar general 20885, sherrard
- dollar general 21078, alexis
- dollar general 7796, aledo
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- smith's custom meats and general store, aledo
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 792, aledo
Supermarket · 1
- mercer market, aledo
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 Mercer County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Nationwide peers for Mercer County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Mercer County (9.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Illinois.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IL (22.8% here).
- Oconee County, SC · 22.8% low-access
- Benton County, WA · 22.8% low-access
- Morehouse Parish, LA · 22.9% low-access
- Mecosta County, MI · 22.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (9.9% here).
- LaPorte County, IN · 9.9% SNAP
- Sumner County, KS · 9.9% SNAP
- Worcester County, MD · 9.9% SNAP
- Clay County, MN · 9.9% 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%). Mercer County, at 22.8%, runs 2.6 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 Mercer County, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17131. 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.