PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Iowa

Muscatine County, IA

Muscatine 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.

17.0%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
12.1%
on SNAP
43K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IA

The food-access picture

17.0% of Muscatine County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
3.8%
households, no vehicle
13.7%
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).

Muscatine County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.0% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,265 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,378 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 Muscatine County compares nationally

Muscatine County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.0% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,948).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Muscatine County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Muscatine County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Muscatine County, IA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (60.0%) 2 tracts limited (20.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 20% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Muscatine County, IA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Muscatine County vs. other Iowa counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Muscatine County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)42,745
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population7,265
Low-Access Share17.0%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,378

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Muscatine County
IndicatorValue
Population42,559
Median Household Income$69,396
Poverty Rate13.7%near the national average
SNAP Households2,093
SNAP Participation Rate12.1%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Muscatine County 12.1%

About 12.1% of Muscatine County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,093 households here.
  • 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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 Muscatine County

near the national share

2 of Muscatine County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 7,265 residents, roughly 17.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,378 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Muscatine County

Muscatine County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • casey's 2890, west liberty
  • casey's 2906, muscatine
  • casey's general store 1484, muscatine
  • casey's general store 2472, nichols
  • casey's general store 2944, muscatine
  • casey's general store 4025, muscatine
  • caseys general store 61, wilton
  • circle k 4706600, muscatine
  • express mart, muscatine
  • fast ave one stop 5632620419, muscatine
  • gm food mart, muscatine
  • gm minimart, muscatine
  • giri bp, west liberty
  • hy-vee gas 5437, muscatine
  • kwik star 1064, muscatine
  • love's travel stop 882, muscatine
  • maverik 5046, muscatine
  • maverik 5300, musatine
  • muscatine shell fast break 0007, muscatine
  • new york dollar store, west liberty
  • pearl city tobacco & liquor outlet, muscatine
  • stewart road fast break 15, muscatine

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • acapulco mexican bakery, west liberty
  • dollar general 18711, muscatine
  • dollar general 19625, muscatine
  • djaagou- a export (african market) 154463, muscatine
  • dollar general 21855, muscatine
  • dollar general 6336, west liberty
  • dollar general 6522, wilton
  • dollar general 7027, muscatine
  • dollar tree 2795, muscatine
  • walgreens 05885, muscatine

Super Store · 4

  • fareway stores, inc. 998, muscatine
  • hy-vee food & drugstore 1437, muscatine
  • hy-vee mainstreet 7060, muscatine
  • walmart sc 559, muscatine

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • acapulco bakery muscatine, muscatine
  • supermarket jalisco, muscatine

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 68005, muscatine
  • jeff's markt, west liberty

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • wilton's hometown market, wilton

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • west liberty locker & processing, west liberty

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Iowa

Adair County
8.0% low-access · 9.8% SNAP
Adams County
6.4% low-access · 9.5% SNAP
Allamakee County
10.9% low-access · 8.3% SNAP
Appanoose County
15.7% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Audubon County
7.4% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Benton County
17.0% low-access · 4.8% SNAP

Compare Muscatine County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →

Food access nationally, Iowa in context

Muscatine County sits inside Iowa (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Muscatine County has low food access? ▼
17.0% of residents in Muscatine County, IA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Muscatine County? ▼
12.1% of households in Muscatine County receive SNAP, covering 2,093 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Muscatine County? ▼
The poverty rate in Muscatine County, IA is 13.7%, with a median household income of $69,396 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Muscatine County a food desert? ▼
2 of Muscatine County's 10 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Muscatine County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.8% of households in Muscatine County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.