PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Indiana

Noble County, IN

Noble 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.

9.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
5.1%
on SNAP
47K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IN

The food-access picture

9.1% of Noble County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
10.1%
households, no vehicle
9.2%
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).

Noble County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.1% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,303 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,764 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 Noble County compares nationally

Noble County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.1% low-access share that beats 18% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,557).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Noble County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Noble 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 Noble County, IN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (90.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (10.0%) Adequate 90% Limited 0% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Noble County, IN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Noble County vs. other Indiana counties

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

% 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 Noble County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,536
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population4,303
Low-Access Share9.1%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,764

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Noble County
IndicatorValue
Population47,495
Median Household Income$71,723
Poverty Rate9.2%below the national average
SNAP Households923
SNAP Participation Rate5.1%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.1%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Noble County 5.1%

About 5.1% of Noble County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 923 households here.
  • 10.1% 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 Noble County

near the national share

1 of Noble County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 4,303 residents, roughly 9.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,764 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (90.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Noble County

Noble County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • 5 brothers llc, kendallville
  • 5 brothers llc, kendallville
  • avilla quickstop llc, avilla
  • casey's 3208, ligonier
  • circle k 4702455, kendalville
  • casey's general store 3558, kendallville
  • country mark, albion
  • family express 87, ligonier
  • gallops at kendallville, kendallville
  • jm petroleum inc, ligonier
  • joe's corner, kendallville
  • lassus handy dandy 21, avilla
  • lassus handy dandy 44, ligonier
  • murphy usa 6994, kendallville
  • phil's one stop 12, wolflake
  • speedway 8060, kendallville
  • speedway 8066, ligonier

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs 6498, kendallville
  • cvs 6500, ligonier
  • dollar general 1144, kendallville
  • dollar general 1146, ligonier
  • dollar general 4174, avilla
  • dollar general 9789, albion
  • dollar tree 3547, kendallville
  • dollar general 14528, churubusco
  • dollar general 19831, albion
  • dollar general 23144, kendallville
  • dollar general 25344, kendallville
  • dollar general 7266, wolcottville
  • family dollar 12858, albion
  • family dollar store 7021, ligonier
  • pork n' cleaver, albion
  • walgreens 11494, kendallville

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • almadina market 1 llc 1, kendallville
  • goss grocery, columbia city
  • la conchita supermarket, ligonier

Super Store · 3

  • kroger 418, kendallville
  • kroger 842, ligonier
  • walmart 1388, kendallville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • rabers discount groceries,llc, wolcottville

Supermarket · 1

  • millers super value, rome city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Indiana

Adams County
17.5% low-access · 6.6% SNAP
Allen County
37.8% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Bartholomew County
36.4% low-access · 7.4% SNAP
Benton County
1.7% low-access · 11.7% SNAP
Blackford County
15.2% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Boone County
17.9% low-access · 3.7% SNAP

Compare Noble County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →

Food access nationally, Indiana in context

Noble County sits inside Indiana (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 Noble County has low food access? ▼
9.1% of residents in Noble County, IN 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 Noble County? ▼
5.1% of households in Noble County receive SNAP, covering 923 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Noble County? ▼
The poverty rate in Noble County, IN is 9.2%, with a median household income of $71,723 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Noble County a food desert? ▼
1 of Noble 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 Noble County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.1% of households in Noble 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.