Signature · 8.9% low-access (18th pct)
Monroe County, IA
Monroe County lands in the lower national band on low-access (8.9%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 8.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Monroe County, IA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 8.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -13.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Carroll County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Monroe County lands in the lower national band (8.9%, #2,571 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,571
- national by low-access %
- #80
- in IA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 183
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 8.9% low-access (18th pct) (-13.2 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Monroe County compares nationally
Monroe County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.9% low-access share that beats 18% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,575).
Monroe County's lower-band USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Monroe County has 0 urban and 3 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.
Monroe County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Clarke 9.2
Clarke 9.2%
9.2 % low-access
- Monroe 8.9
Monroe 8.9%
8.9 % low-access
- Carroll 8.9
Carroll 8.9%
8.9 % low-access
- Washington 8.9
Washington 8.9%
8.9 % low-access
- Hardin 8.6
Hardin 8.6%
8.6 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,970 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 708 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 183 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,513 |
| Median Household Income | $70,996 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 241 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
SNAP retailers in Monroe County
Monroe County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 4
- albia bp 17, albia
- casey's general store 1577, albia
- casey's general store 1651, albia
- caseys general store 1327, lovilia
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 21138, lovilia
- dollar general 2228, albia
- family dollar 12655, albia
Super Store · 1
- hy-vee food store 1009, albia
Supermarket · 1
- jim & charlies, albia
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 Monroe County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Monroe County inside a lower low-access state context
Monroe County sits inside Iowa (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 Monroe County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19135. 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.