Signature · 6.1% low-access (12th pct)
Poweshiek County, IA
Poweshiek County lands in the lower national band on low-access (6.1%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 6.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.4%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Poweshiek County, IA
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 6.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -16.0 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.4% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Adams County (+ 0.3 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Poweshiek County lands in the lower national band (6.1%, #2,757 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,757
- national by low-access %
- #91
- in IA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 241
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 6.1% low-access (12th pct) (-16 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Poweshiek County compares nationally
Food access in Poweshiek County compares favorably nationally: its 6.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,757).
Poweshiek County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Poweshiek County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Poweshiek County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Audubon 7.4
Audubon 7.4%
7.4 % low-access
- Butler 6.9
Butler 6.9%
6.9 % low-access
- Adams 6.4
Adams 6.4%
6.4 % low-access
- Poweshiek 6.1
Poweshiek 6.1%
6.1 % low-access
- Iowa 5.1
Iowa 5.1%
5.1 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 18,914 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,158 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 241 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,545 |
| Median Household Income | $67,391 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 735 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.9% |
SNAP retailers in Poweshiek County
Poweshiek County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 20 authorized stores; Grinnell holds 60% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (5 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Grinnell | 12 | 3 |
| Brooklyn | 5 | 1 |
| Montezuma | 3 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 10
- casey's general store 1527, grinnell
- casey's general store 1950, grinnell
- casey's general store 3042, brooklyn
- casey's general store 3309, montezuma
- casey's general store 3617, grinnell
- caseys general store 1134, grinnell
- kwik star 303, brooklyn
- maverik 5070, grinnell
- maverik 5107, grinnell
- pilot travel center 495, brooklyn
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 16716, montezuma
- dollar general 23243, brooklyn
- dollar general 7109, grinnell
- dollar tree 7727, grinnell
Super Store · 3
- fareway stores, inc. 737, grinnell
- hy-vee food store 1235, grinnell
- walmart sc 647, grinnell
Large Grocery Store · 2
- brooklyn grocery, brooklyn
- montezuma super valu, montezuma
Farmers' Market · 1
- grinnell farmers market, grinnell
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 Poweshiek County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Counties near Poweshiek County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Poweshiek County, both outside Iowa so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (6.1% here).
- Crisp County, GA · 6.1% low-access
- Miami-Dade County, FL · 6.1% low-access
- Wayne County, NY · 6.1% low-access
- Vance County, NC · 6.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (9.4% here).
- Cass County, IN · 9.4% SNAP
- Calloway County, KY · 9.4% SNAP
- Lake County, IL · 9.4% SNAP
- Barnstable County, MA · 9.4% 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.
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Poweshiek County, at 6.1%, runs 13.9 pts below the Iowa rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Poweshiek County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19157. 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.