Signature · 4.8% low-access (10th pct)
Polk County, NE
Polk County lands in the lower national band on low-access (4.8%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 4.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.9%
- on SNAP
- 5K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Polk County, NE
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 4.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -17.3 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Nance County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Polk County lands in the lower national band (4.8%, #2,820 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,820
- national by low-access %
- #87
- in NE
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 77
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 4.8% low-access (10th pct) (-17.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Polk County compares nationally
Food access in Polk County compares favorably nationally: its 4.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,821).
Polk County's lower-band USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Polk County has 0 urban and 2 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.
Polk County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Polk 4.8
Polk 4.8%
4.8 % low-access
- Nance 4.6
Nance 4.6%
4.6 % low-access
- Furnas 4.1
Furnas 4.1%
4.1 % low-access
- Nemaha 4
Nemaha 4%
4 % low-access
- Thurston 3.3
Thurston 3.3%
3.3 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,406 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 258 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 77 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,225 |
| Median Household Income | $69,768 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 104 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
SNAP retailers in Polk County
Polk County has 6 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (33% of the total), followed by large grocery store.
Convenience Store · 2
- casey's 2733, stromsburg
- casey's 2740, osceola
Large Grocery Store · 2
- cubby's shelby community grocery store 2104, shelby
- economy hometown market inc, stromsburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 15302, osceola
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- osceola food mart, osceola
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Nebraska
One of 92 counties in Nebraska, 6 are shown here.
Compare Polk County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Polk County inside a lower low-access state context
Polk County sits inside Nebraska (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 Polk County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31143. 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.