PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Nebraska

Sarpy County, NE

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Sarpy 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).

36.7%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
4.7%
on SNAP
197K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NE

The food-access picture

36.7% of Sarpy County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 43 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

26
low-access tracts
11K
food-desert residents
3.0%
households, no vehicle
5.6%
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 Sarpy County's low-access share at 36.7%, above the national share. 26 of the county's 43 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 58,353 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 10,954 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 Sarpy County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Sarpy County's 36.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 83% of them and ranked #531 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Sarpy County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 43 census tracts in Sarpy County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Sarpy County, NE USDA-defined food-access tiers: 17 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 20 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 43 tracts evaluated. 17 tracts adequate (39.5%) 20 tracts limited (46.5%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (14.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 47% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Sarpy County, NE
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Sarpy County vs. other Nebraska counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nebraska

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Sarpy County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts43
Atlas Population (2010 basis)158,840
Low-Access Tracts26
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population58,353
Low-Access Share36.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population10,954

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Sarpy County
IndicatorValue
Population197,389
Median Household Income$103,321
Poverty Rate5.6%well below the national average
SNAP Households3,519
SNAP Participation Rate4.7%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.5%
SNAP participation in Sarpy County 4.7%

About 4.7% of Sarpy County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 36.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 4.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,519 households here.
  • 3.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Sarpy County

above the national share

6 of Sarpy County's 43 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.0% of all its tracts.

A further 20 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 26.

An estimated 58,353 residents, roughly 36.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 10,954 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 17 tracts (39.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Sarpy County

Sarpy County has 90 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 46

  • casey's 2441, papillion
  • casey's 2454, la vista
  • casey's 2966, bellevue
  • casey's 3805, omaha
  • casey's 3813, papillion
  • casey's 3815, omaha
  • casey's 3820, la vista
  • casey's 3830, bellevue
  • casey's general store 3913, la vista
  • casey's 3444, omaha
  • casey's 3943, gretna
  • casey's 6133, bellevue
  • casey's 6145, omaha
  • casey's 6173, la vista
  • casey's general store 2853, springfield
  • hy-vee fast & fresh express 5227, gretna
  • hy-vee fast and fresh 5515, papillion
  • kwik shop 350664, lavista
  • kwik shop 350670, bellevue
  • kwik shop 350675, bellevue
  • kwik shop 350687, papillion
  • kwik shop 350689, bellevue
  • la vista mart, la vista
  • love's travel stop 730, omaha
  • maverik 5122, gretna
  • maverik 5141, bellevue
  • maverik 5155, papillion
  • maverik 5374, papillion
  • mega saver, gretna
  • mega saver, springfield
  • mega saver, omaha
  • mega saver 15, bellevue
  • mega saver 30, omaha
  • mega saver 36, bellevue
  • mega saver 47, la vista
  • mega saver 51, omaha
  • pilot travel center 686, gretna
  • pump & pantry 38, gretna
  • pump & pantry 50, bellevue
  • quiktrip 577, la vista
  • quiktrip 586, bellevue
  • quiktrip 598, omaha
  • sapp bros travel center, omaha
  • select mart giles, omaha
  • speedee mart 2885 2885, papillion
  • tobacco hut 9, bellevue

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • cvs pharmacy 2741, la vista
  • dollartree 10600, bellevue
  • dollar general 15042, springfield
  • dollar general 2749, bellevue
  • dollar general 2768, bellevue
  • dollar general 7463, gretna
  • dollar tree 2258, la vista
  • dollar tree 4103, bellevue
  • dollar tree 4246, papillion
  • dollar tree 7963, bellevue
  • dollar tree 8808, bellevue
  • family dollar 11720, bellevue
  • misons oriental food mart, bellevue
  • walgreens 03694, bellevue
  • walgreens 04754, lavista
  • walgreens 05540, bellevue
  • walgreens 11355, papillion
  • walgreens 11356, papillion
  • walgreens 21446, gretna

Super Store · 18

  • bakers supermarket 300, bellevue
  • bakers supermarket 318, bellevue
  • costco wholesale 1237, la vista
  • family fare 788, bellevue
  • fareway 223, gretna
  • fareway stores, inc. 043, omaha
  • fareway stores, inc. 049, papillion
  • hy-vee 1227, gretna
  • hy-vee food store 1514, papillion
  • sam's club 6181, papillion
  • supermercado nuestra familia 3776, omaha
  • target 0532, papillion
  • target stores t- 1537, bellevue
  • walmart neighborhood market 3154, bellevue
  • walmart neighborhood market 3173, la vista
  • walmart sc 1671, papillion
  • walmart sc 2847, bellevue
  • walmart sc 4600, gretna

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 46040, bellevue
  • aldi 46105, papillion
  • aldi 46114, gretna

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphys pizza ne030, papillion
  • papa murphys pizza ne24, bellevue

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • nairobi grocery mart inc, bellevue

Military Commissary · 1

  • offutt afb commissary 1026, offutt a f b

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Nebraska

Adams County
35.0% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Antelope County
12.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP
Arthur County
100.0% low-access · 5.9% SNAP
Banner County
98.5% low-access · 1.3% SNAP
Blaine County
100.0% low-access
Boone County
12.3% low-access · 3.9% SNAP

Compare Sarpy County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →

Food access nationally, Nebraska in context

Sarpy County sits inside Nebraska (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Sarpy County has low food access? ▼
36.7% of residents in Sarpy County, NE live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sarpy County? ▼
4.7% of households in Sarpy County receive SNAP, covering 3,519 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Sarpy County? ▼
The poverty rate in Sarpy County, NE is 5.6%, with a median household income of $103,321 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Sarpy County a food desert? ▼
6 of Sarpy County's 43 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Sarpy County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.0% of households in Sarpy County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.