County food-access profile · Iowa
Polk County, IA
Polk 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.
- 19.4%
- low-access pop.
- 9
- food-desert tracts
- 9.8%
- on SNAP
- 503K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.4% of Polk County residents live in a low-access area, and 9 of its 97 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 33
- low-access tracts
- 21K
- food-desert residents
- 5.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.3%
- 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).
Polk County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.4% per the USDA Atlas. 33 of the county's 97 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 83,598 residents who live far from a supermarket. 9 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 20,799 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 Polk County compares nationally
Polk County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.4% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,737).
Polk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 97 census tracts in Polk County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Polk County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Polk
Polk County, IA
19.4 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee
Allamakee County, IA
10.9 % low-access
- Appanoose
Appanoose County, IA
15.7 % low-access
- Audubon 7.4
Audubon County, IA
7.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 97 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 430,640 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 33 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 9 |
| Low-Access Population | 83,598 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 20,799 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 503,175 |
| Median Household Income | $83,576 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 20,165 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 9.8% of Polk County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 20,165 households here.
- 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 9 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 Polk County
near the national share
9 of Polk County's 97 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.3% of all its tracts.
A further 24 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 33.
An estimated 83,598 residents, roughly 19.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 20,799 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 64 tracts (66.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Polk County
Polk County has 431 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 161 locations (37% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 161
- 1st stop beverage shop, des moines
- altoona fast and fresh 7505, altoona
- brew 80, west des moines
- casey's 3244, urbandale
- casey's 3333, pleasant hill
- casey's 3606, urbandale
- casey's 3746, grimes
- casey's 3789, altoona
- casey's 3827, ankeny
- casey's 3977, des moines
- casey's 4372, windsor heights
- casey's 4396, bondurant
- casey's 5210, grimes
- casey's general store 3915, des moines
- casey's 2150, west des moines
- casey's 2406, pleasant hill
- casey's 2786, des moines
- casey's 2870, altoona
- casey's 2892, des moines
- casey's 3888, ankeny
- casey's 3953, des moines
- casey's general store 1373, bondurant
- casey's general store 1659, ankeny
- casey's general store 1861, bondurant
- casey's general store 1901, des moines
- casey's general store 1910, johnston
- casey's general store 1938, altoona
- casey's general store 1941, ankeny
- casey's general store 2099, clive
- casey's general store 2177, mitchellville
- casey's general store 2244, des moines
- casey's general store 2253, clive
- casey's general store 2297, west des moines
- casey's general store 2314, des moines
- casey's general store 2322, des moines
- casey's general store 2392, johnston
- casey's general store 2520, grimes
- casey's general store 2635, johnston
- casey's general store 2641, des moines
- casey's general store 2676, des moines
- casey's general store 2683, runnells
- casey's general store 2689, ankeny
- casey's general store 2783, urbandale
- casey's general store 2784, des moines
- casey's general store 2785, ankeny
- casey's general store 2816, johnston
- casey's general store 2824, west des moines
- casey's general store 2896, ankeny
- casey's general store 2916, altoona
- casey's general store 2920, ankeny
- casey's general store 2921, des moines
- casey's general store 2922, des moines
- casey's general store 2923, west des moines
- casey's general store 3075, ankeny
- casey's general store 3098, west des moines
- casey's general store 3210, urbandale
- casey's general store 3507, grimes
- casey's general store 3518, des moines
- casey's general store 3718, pleasant hill
- casey's general store 3932, urbandale
- casey's general store 3934, ankeny
- casey's general store 4026, des moines
- caseys general store 004, des moines
- caseys general store 0044, des moines
- caseys general store 006, altoona
- caseys general store 045, des moines
- caseys general store 1144, polk city
- caseys general store 1548, ankeny
- caseys general store 2164, ankeny
- central city liquors, des moines
- chamling food & liquor store, des moines
- clive fast & fresh exress 5901, clive
- deep supermarket, des moines
- des moines fast & fresh 7035, des moines
- downtown pantry, des moines
- east village pantry, des moines
- fast mart no, des moines
- filipino store, des moines
- florenceland african market, des moines
- full stop, des moines
- git-n-go 10, des moines
- git-n-go 11, des moines
- git-n-go 17, altoona
- git-n-go 18, des moines
- git-n-go 2, des moines
- git-n-go 23, des moines
- git-n-go 24, des moines
- git-n-go 25, des moines
- git-n-go 26, des moines
- git-n-go 27, des moines
- git-n-go 28, des moines
- git-n-go 29, des moines
- git-n-go 3, des moines
- git-n-go 30, urbandale
- git-n-go 31, des moines
- git-n-go 32, des moines
- git-n-go 33, des moines
- git-n-go 36, des moines
- git-n-go 37, pleasant hill
- git-n-go 4, west des moines
- git-n-go 40, ankeny
- git-n-go 41, bondurant
- git-n-go 42, des moines
- git-n-go 44, urbandale
- git-n-go 46, urbandale
- git-n-go 5, des moines
- git-n-go 6, des moines
- git-n-go 7, des moines
- goodstop by casey's 5269, grimes
- h&a mini mart, des moines
- hy-vee c store 5759, urbandale
- hy-vee c-store 5318, johnston
- hy-vee drugtown 7031, des moines
- hy-vee fast and fresh #2 7538, grimes
- hy-vee fast and fresh #4 7583, urbandale
- hy-vee gas 5011, altoona
- hy-vee gas 5022, ankeny
- hy-vee gas 5148, des moines
- hy-vee gas 5151, des moines
- hy-vee gas 5530, pleasant hill
- hy-vee gas 5889, west des moines
- hy-vee gas 5890, west des moines
- hyvee fast and fresh 7582, urbandale
- johnston fast & fresh express 5902, johnston
- kwik star 1024, grimes
- kwik star 1050, urbandale
- kwik star 1053, des moines
- kwik star 1055, grimes
- kwik star 1057, ankeny
- kwik star 1086, des moines
- kwik star 1089, polk city
- kwik star 1097, urbandale
- kwik star 1155, pleasant hill
- kwik star 1703, johnston
- kwik star 1707, ankeny
- kwik star 1725, mitchellville
- kwik star 932, altoona
- kwik trip 1016, ankeny
- kwik trip 1186, altoona
- loves travel stop 411, clive
- maverik 5018, clive
- maverik 5064, west des moines
- maverik 5080, west des moines
- maverik 5393, west des moines
- maverik 5403, west des moines
- maverik dba 5111, urbandale
- maccabees deli, des moines
- maverik 5002, windsor heights
- maverik 5015, west des moines
- maverik 5017, west des moines
- maverik 5023, johnston
- maverik 5116, ankeny
- maverik 5168, des moines
- maverik 5216, des moines
- maverik 5218, ankeny
- maverik 5233, ankeny
- maverik 5266, des moines
- maverik 5267, urbandale
- maverik 5278, des moines
- maverik 5283, des moines
- maverik 5287, west des moines
Combination Grocery/Other · 84
- a & j african food store, des moines
- allamin grocery store, des moines
- asian sky market, des moines
- b&v african food market n/a, des moines
- cvs 10114, ankeny
- cvs 10480, urbandale
- cvs pharmacy 10329, des moines
- campbell's nutrition center 1, des moines
- dollartree 10038, bondurant
- dollartree 6295, west des moines
- dollartree 6946, des moines
- dollartree 8089, des moines
- dollartree 8630, grimes
- dollartree 8672, ankeny
- dollar general 0313, des moines
- dollar general 12680, mitchellville
- dollar general 13292, des moines
- dollar general 21054, des moines
- dollar general 21061, urbandale
- dollar general 21524, johnston
- dollar general 21816, des moines
- dollar general 23568, bondurant
- dollar general 23973, runnells
- dollar general 24593, west des moines
- dollar general 24813, des moines
- dollar general 4513, pleasant hill
- dollar general 4554, des moines
- dollar general 4991, des moines
- dollar general 6077, des moines
- dollar general 6725, des moines
- dollar general 6735, des moines
- dollar general 7234, altoona
- dollar general 7305, grimes
- dollar general 7310, ankeny
- dollar general store 13488, des moines
- dollar tree 1361, des moines
- dollar tree 2227, ankeny
- dollar tree 2412, des moines
- dollar tree 2427, west des moines
- dollar tree 2761, des moines
- dollar tree 4134, des moines
- dollar tree 7287, des moines
- dollar tree 7510, west des moines
- dollar tree 7607, urbandale
- dollar tree 7830, altoona
- dollar tree 8580, johnston
- double dragon, des moines
- el palomino 1, des moines
- elohim global market, des moines
- europa groceries, des moines
- family dollar 1805, des moines
- family dollar 1838, des moines
- family dollar 5799, des moines
- family dollar store 10481, des moines
- francoise african food store, des moines
- gateway market, des moines
- graziano brothers, inc., des moines
- new discount market, des moines
- tanganyika grocery store llc, des moines
- taste of jay african store llc, des moines
- the big african store, des moines
- trusty african market, windsor heights
- variety african food store, des moines
- walgreens 03773, urbandale
- walgreens 07996, ankeny
- walgreens 09791, altoona
- walgreens 359, des moines
- walgreens 4714, des moines
- walgreens 4973, urbandale
- walgreens 5060, clive
- walgreens 5362, des moines
- walgreens 5721, des moines
- walgreens 5777, des moines
- walgreens 5852, des moines
- walgreens 5944, johnston
- walgreens 6623, west des moines
- walgreens 6677, west des moines
- walgreens 6678, west des moines
- walgreens 7452, des moines
- walgreens 7453, des moines
- walgreens 7454, ankeny
- walgreens 7833, des moines
- walgreens 7968, des moines
- wang's asian market, urbandale
Bakery Specialty · 5
- jerusalem bakery llc, des moines
- papa murphy's pizza ia035, altoona
- papa murphys, ankeny
- papa murphys, urbandale
- papa murphys, des moines
Showing 250 of 431 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Polk County sits inside Iowa (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 Polk County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Polk County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Polk County? ▼
Is Polk County a food desert? ▼
What share of Polk 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.