Signature · 6.6% SNAP (22nd pct in IA)
Plymouth County, IA
Plymouth 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.
- 15.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 6.6%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Plymouth County, IA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 15.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Marion County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Plymouth County ranks #2,042 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #53 of 98 counties in IA (15.9% low-access).
- #2,042
- national by low-access %
- #53
- in IA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 795
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 6.6% SNAP (22nd pct in IA) (-5.5 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Plymouth County compares nationally
Plymouth County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.9% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,046).
Plymouth County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Plymouth County has 2 urban and 4 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.
Plymouth County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Jasper 16.2
Jasper 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- Plymouth 15.9
Plymouth 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Marion 15.9
Marion 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Appanoose 15.7
Appanoose 15.7%
15.7 % low-access
- Jones 15.6
Jones 15.6%
15.6 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,986 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,971 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 795 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,747 |
| Median Household Income | $83,251 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 683 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
SNAP retailers in Plymouth County
Plymouth County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- casey's general store 2477, le mars
- casey's general store 2519, merrill
- casey's general store 3604, hinton
- casey's general store 3648, akron
- kingsley country store 16, kingsley
- kwik star 1160, le mars
- love's travel stop 869, le mars
- pacific island market, le mars
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 18579, remsen
- dollar general 21140, kingsley
- dollar general 31357, akron
- dollar tree 3122, le mars
Super Store · 3
- fareway stores, inc. 719, le mars
- hy-vee food store 1382, le mars
- walmart sc 1625, le mars
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- hometown pantry, kingsley
- jeff's foods remsen, remsen
Large Grocery Store · 1
- maynards of akron, akron
Small Grocery Store · 1
- san juan bakery llc, le mars
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 Plymouth County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Nationwide peers for Plymouth County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Plymouth County (6.6%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (15.9% here).
- Sullivan County, IN · 15.9% low-access
- Sullivan County, IN · 15.9% low-access
- McIntosh County, GA · 15.9% low-access
- McIntosh County, GA · 15.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (6.6% here).
- Adams County, IN · 6.6% SNAP
- Adams County, IN · 6.6% SNAP
- Spencer County, KY · 6.6% SNAP
- Spencer County, KY · 6.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Plymouth 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 Plymouth County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19149. 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.