Signature · 31.6% low-access (73rd pct)
Merrick County, NE
Merrick County sits in the upper national band on low-access (31.6%, +9.5 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 31.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.7%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Merrick County, NE
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 31.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +9.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 1.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Colfax County (+ 0.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Merrick County sits in the upper national band (31.6%, #839 of 3,079).
- #839
- national by low-access %
- #39
- in NE
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 821
- 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: 31.6% low-access (73rd pct) (+9.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Merrick County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Merrick County's 31.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #843 most-affected nationwide.
Merrick County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Merrick County has 1 urban and 2 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.
Merrick County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Gage 32.4
Gage 32.4%
32.4 % low-access
- Saline 32.2
Saline 32.2%
32.2 % low-access
- Sheridan 32
Sheridan 32%
32 % low-access
- Merrick 31.6
Merrick 31.6%
31.6 % low-access
- Colfax 31.6
Colfax 31.6%
31.6 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,845 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,479 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 821 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,724 |
| Median Household Income | $68,354 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 184 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 1.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
SNAP retailers in Merrick County
Merrick County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (63% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 5
- casey's general store 1804, central city
- kwik stop 09, central city
- kwik stop 20, clarks
- pump & pantry 29, central city
- pump & pantry 5, chapman
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 4244, central city
Small Grocery Store · 1
- palmer local market, palmer
Super Store · 1
- central city mall, central city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Nebraska
One of 92 counties in Nebraska, 6 are shown here.
Compare Merrick County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Merrick County inside a higher low-access state context
Merrick County sits inside Nebraska (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
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 Merrick County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31121. 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.