Signature · 16.3% low-access (36th pct)
Monona County, IA
Monona County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 16.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.8%
- on SNAP
- 9K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Monona County, IA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 16.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -5.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Jasper County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Monona County ranks #2,004 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #50 of 98 counties in IA (16.3% low-access).
- #2,004
- national by low-access %
- #50
- in IA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 463
- 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: 16.3% low-access (36th pct) (-5.8 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Monona County compares nationally
Monona County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.3% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,004).
Monona County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Monona 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.
Monona County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Buena Vista 16.6
Buena Vista 16.6%
16.6 % low-access
- Monona 16.3
Monona 16.3%
16.3 % low-access
- Jasper 16.2
Jasper 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- Marion 15.9
Marion 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Plymouth 15.9
Plymouth 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 9,243 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,511 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 463 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,557 |
| Median Household Income | $68,377 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 340 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
SNAP retailers in Monona County
Monona County has 11 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 11 authorized stores; Onawa holds 64% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (3 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Onawa | 7 | 1 |
| Mapleton | 3 | 1 |
| Whiting | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 5
- casey's 3442, mapleton
- casey's general store 2697, onawa
- cubby's onawa 2301, onawa
- sparky's one stop 21, onawa
- the hut 23, onawa
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 16109, mapleton
- dollar general 24928, onawa
- dollar general 4617, onawa
Supermarket · 2
- mapleton food land, mapleton
- sunshine foods 9754, onawa
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- kirby's corner market, whiting
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Iowa
One of 98 counties in Iowa, 6 are shown here.
Compare Monona County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Monona County, at 16.3%, runs 3.7 pts below the Iowa rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
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 Monona County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19133. 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.