County food-access profile · Nebraska
Platte County, NE
Platte 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.
- 19.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.1%
- on SNAP
- 35K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.2% of Platte County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.8%
- 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).
Platte County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.2% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,204 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Platte County compares nationally
Platte County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.2% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,755).
Platte County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Platte County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Platte County vs. other Nebraska counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nebraska
- Platte 19.2
Platte County, NE
19.2 % low-access
- Adams 35
Adams County, NE
35 % low-access
- Antelope 12.9
Antelope County, NE
12.9 % low-access
- Arthur
Arthur County, NE
100 % low-access
- Banner
Banner County, NE
98.5 % low-access
- Blaine
Blaine County, NE
100 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,237 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,204 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,222 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,716 |
| Median Household Income | $71,552 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 969 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 7.1% of Platte County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 969 households here.
- 5.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $71,552 with a 9.8% poverty rate.
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 Platte County
near the national share
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 6,204 residents, roughly 19.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,222 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Platte County
Platte County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 9 locations (35% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 10441, columbus
- dollar general 20488, columbus
- dollar general 25048, genoa
- dollar general 31093, columbus
- dollar general 7591, columbus
- dollar general store 16633, humphrey
- dollar tree 2385, columbus
- family dollar 5650, columbus
- walgreens 12115, columbus
Convenience Store · 7
- casey's general store 1965, columbus
- casey's general store 2881, columbus
- casey's general store 3089, columbus
- caseys general store 1177, columbus
- murphy usa 7485, columbus
- pump & pantry 57, columbus
- sapp bros travel center, columbus
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- guatemex llc, columbus
- lindsay cooperative, lindsay
- main street market, humphrey
- tres hermanos, columbus
Super Store · 2
- hy-vee food store 1078, columbus
- walmart sc 0774, columbus
Farmers' Market · 1
- columbus farmers market, columbus
Seafood Specialty · 1
- pescaderia la matanzera r & y llc, columbus
Small Grocery Store · 1
- palmeras, llc 1, columbus
Supermarket · 1
- super saver 18, columbus
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Nebraska
Compare Platte County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Food access nationally, Nebraska in context
Platte County sits inside Nebraska (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 Platte County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Platte County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Platte County? ▼
Is Platte County a food desert? ▼
What share of Platte 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.