County food-access profile · Illinois
Sangamon County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Sangamon County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 25.6%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 15.5%
- on SNAP
- 195K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.6% of Sangamon County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 20
- low-access tracts
- 12K
- food-desert residents
- 7.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.1%
- 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).
USDA data puts Sangamon County's low-access share at 25.6%, above the national share. 20 of the county's 53 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 50,466 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 11,764 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 Sangamon County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Sangamon County's 25.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 60% of them and ranked #1,246 most-affected nationwide.
Sangamon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 53 census tracts in Sangamon County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sangamon County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Sangamon
Sangamon County, IL
25.6 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 53 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 197,465 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 20 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 50,466 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,764 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 194,947 |
| Median Household Income | $75,357 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 13,108 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 15.5% of Sangamon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 13,108 households here.
- 7.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Sangamon County
above the national share
5 of Sangamon County's 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.4% of all its tracts.
A further 15 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 20.
An estimated 50,466 residents, roughly 25.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 11,764 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 33 tracts (62.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sangamon County
Sangamon County has 182 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 87 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 87
- a & q tobacco shop llc, springfield
- a new york deli style inc, springfield
- a to z bargains, springfield
- abraham food market inc, springfield
- ajzcprner, springfield
- all star grocery, springfield
- allen corner grocery, springfield
- art petroleum corporation, springfield
- beeline mart 10430, springfield
- bps oil, illiopolis
- brake time 223626, springfield
- casey's 3415, springfield
- casey's general store 1461, pawnee
- casey's general store 1616, pleasant plains
- casey's general store 1902, auburn
- casey's general store 1962, chatham
- casey's general store 2250, springfield
- casey's general store 2285, springfield
- casey's general store 2457, chatham
- casey's general store 2587, sherman
- casey's general store 2588, williamsville
- casey's general store 2937, springfield
- casey's general store 2939, springfield
- casey's general store 2943, auburn
- chop chop express, springfield
- circle k 4700140, springfield
- circle k 4700160, springfield
- circle k 4700188, springfield
- circle k 4700190, springfield
- circle k 4701303, springfield
- circle k 4701304, springfield
- circle k 4701398, divernon
- circle k 4701411, springfield
- circle k 4701422, springfield
- circle k 4701423, springfield
- circle k 4701428, chatham
- circle k 4701440, springfield
- dallas food mart, springfield
- express groceries 1, springfield
- express liquor & food mart, springfield
- fas mart 5116, springfield
- flowers bakery outlet 997, springfield
- food and fuel mart, springfield
- food shop, springfield
- gas n wash 707, springfield
- grandview grocery & liquor ltd, springfield
- h & a's market, springfield
- hometown pantry, springfield
- hilltop convenience 24, springfield
- home town pantry, springfield
- huck's 262, springfield
- hy-vee c-store 5640, springfield
- jamal's grocery, springfield
- jerome fuel mart, springfield
- jiffi stop 578, springfield
- jiffi stop 581, springfield
- jiffi stop 582, springfield
- jiffi stop 590, springfield
- jjs market fish & chicken, springfield
- lincoln motomart 3150, springfield
- loves travel stops 249, williamsville
- meijer gas station 176, springfield
- one stop food & liquor, springfield
- okams quick & easy, springfield
- oscars, springfield
- pick & go store inc, divernon
- qik n ez #55, springfield
- qik n ez #71, springfield
- qik n ez 50, springfield
- qik n ez 58, springfield
- qik-n-ez # 61, springfield
- qik n ez 59, springfield
- road ranger 118, springfield
- road ranger 181, springfield
- road ranger 266, new berlin
- sd petroleum inc, mechanicsburg
- shiva gas inc, springfield
- speedway 3961, williamsville
- sunshine food mart, springfield
- super mart, springfield
- super station, springfield
- thorntons 370, springfield
- thorntons 371, springfield
- thorntons 373, springfield
- tjayz inc, springfield
- veterans grocery and tobacco, springfield
- yem grocery & tobacco, springfield
Combination Grocery/Other · 50
- cvs 6819, springfield
- cvs 6845, springfield
- cvs 6849, springfield
- cvs 8635, springfield
- dollar general 1691, springfield
- dollar general 18147, illiopolis
- dollar general 19675, springfield
- dollar general 2057, springfield
- dollar general 3610, auburn
- dollar general 4452, riverton
- dollar general 4577, springfield
- dollar general 4979, springfield
- dollar general 7223, chatham
- dollar general 7251, springfield
- dollar general 9094, springfield
- dollartree 10340, chatham
- dollartree 9362, springfield
- dollar general 11594, new berlin
- dollar general 12913, springfield
- dollar general 15139, springfield
- dollar general 16695, springfield
- dollar general 17574, springfield
- dollar general 20524, springfield
- dollar general 20769, springfield
- dollar general 21139, buffalo
- dollar general 22008, springfield
- dollar general 22314, springfield
- dollar general 22820, pleasant plains
- dollar general 25109, springfield
- dollar general 25911, rochester
- dollar general 30221, riverton
- dollar general 31097, williamsville
- dollar general store 16667, pawnee
- dollar tree 1784, springfield
- dollar tree 3379, springfield
- dollar tree 7102, springfield
- dollar tree 711, springfield
- dollar tree 7942, springfield
- family dollar 8373, springfield
- family dollar store 3550, springfield
- walgreens 02071, springfield
- walgreens 12427, springfield
- walgreens 1770, springfield
- walgreens 02492, springfield
- walgreens 03901, springfield
- walgreens 09145, springfield
- walgreens 09580, chatham
- walgreens 11829, springfield
- walgreens 13852, sherman
- walgreens 3501, springfield
Super Store · 17
- county market 224, chatham
- county market 225, springfield
- county market 226, springfield
- county market 227, springfield
- county market 228, springfield
- county market 231, sherman
- harvest market 581, springfield
- hy-vee 1640, springfield
- meijer inc 176, springfield
- ruler 258, springfield
- schnucks 717, springfield
- schnucks sangamon 718, springfield
- sam's club 8215, springfield
- target store 670, springfield
- walmart 1602, springfield
- walmart supercenter 3210, springfield
- walmart supercenter 3602, springfield
Medium Grocery Store · 9
- a & t grocery, springfield
- a and m convenience store inc, springfield
- aalaya foods springfield llc, springfield
- almadina international foods, springfield
- deo gratias foods market, springfield
- food fantasies naturally, inc., springfield
- jays food mart inc., springfield
- little world mart, ltd 1, springfield
- springfield seafood market, springfield
Large Grocery Store · 6
- asian market wabash llc, springfield
- country market inc, springfield
- kent's iga, riverton
- magro's meat & produce, springfield
- save-a-lot 24742, auburn
- save-a-lot 24849, springfield
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 68004, springfield
- aldi 68020 68020, springfield
- aldi 68059 68059, springfield
- gordon food service store mp102, springfield
- humphrey's market, springfield
Farmers' Market · 3
- illinois products farmers' market, springfield
- old capitol farmers market, springfield
- rochester public library farmers market 0, rochester
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's pizza il007, springfield
- papa murphy's pizza il024, springfield
Small Grocery Store · 2
- carters fish market, springfield
- sharks food mart n/a, springfield
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- midstate meat company inc, springfield
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Sangamon County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Sangamon County sits inside Illinois (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 Sangamon County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sangamon County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sangamon County? ▼
Is Sangamon County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sangamon 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.