County food-access profile · Indiana
Morgan County, IN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Morgan 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).
- 28.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 73K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.7% of Morgan County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 3.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.3%
- 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 Morgan County's low-access share at 28.7%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 19,768 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,183 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 Morgan County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Morgan County's 28.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 67% of them and ranked #1,025 most-affected nationwide.
Morgan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Morgan County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Morgan County vs. other Indiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Indiana
- Morgan
Morgan County, IN
28.7 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, IN
17.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, IN
37.8 % low-access
- Bartholomew
Bartholomew County, IN
36.4 % low-access
- Benton 1.7
Benton County, IN
1.7 % low-access
- Blackford
Blackford County, IN
15.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 68,894 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 19,768 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,183 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 72,659 |
| Median Household Income | $79,429 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,209 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 7.8% of Morgan County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,209 households here.
- 3.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Morgan County
above the national share
1 of Morgan County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 19,768 residents, roughly 28.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,183 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (61.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Morgan County
Morgan County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 24
- 39 bypass market, martinsville
- a1 super market inc, morgantown
- annie inc., mooresville
- burton ln food mart, martinsville
- casey's 2221, martinsville
- camby's market inc, camby
- casey's general store 2280, mooresville
- casey's general store 2442, mooresville
- circle k 4700046, martinsville
- circle k 4700055, martinsville
- circle k 4702371, mooresville
- circle k 4702456, martinsville
- eminence dairyland llc, eminence
- family fuel llc, martinsville
- food mart, martinsville
- love's travel stop 254, mooresville
- msm foodmart, stilesville
- marathon paragon, paragon
- martinsville mart 1 llc, martinsville
- monroe petroleum inc, mooresville
- murphy usa 6992, martinsville
- rickers 7539, mooresville
- speedway 5460, mooresville
- wilbur corner shop, martinsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- cvs 6551, mooresville
- cvs 6703, martinsville
- dollar general 7303, mooresville
- dollar tree 3804, martinsville
- dollartree 9488, mooresville
- dollar general 0302, martinsville
- dollar general 11310, morgantown
- dollar general 11773, monrovia
- dollar general 15368, mooresville
- dollar general 21044, paragon
- dollar general 30240, camby
- dollar general 30980, martinsville
- family dollar store 1014, martinsville
- walgreens #6455 06455, mooresville
- walgreens 21592, martinsville
Super Store · 4
- kroger j-907 907, martinsville
- kroger j-921, mooresville
- value market, mooresville
- walmart 1356, martinsville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mooresville butcher shop, mooresville
Supermarket · 1
- fraberg's iga, inc., monrovia
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Indiana
Compare Morgan County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →
Food access nationally, Indiana in context
Morgan County sits inside Indiana (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 Morgan County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Morgan County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Morgan County? ▼
Is Morgan County a food desert? ▼
What share of Morgan 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.