Signature · 4.6% SNAP (16th pct in NE)
Saunders County, NE
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Saunders 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).
- 24.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.6%
- on SNAP
- 23K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Saunders County, NE
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 24.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Clay County (+ 0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Saunders County ranks #1,332 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #56 of 93 counties in NE (24.5% low-access).
- #1,332
- national by low-access %
- #56
- in NE
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 4.6% SNAP (16th pct in NE) (-7.5 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Saunders County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Saunders County's 24.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,332 most-affected nationwide.
Saunders County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Saunders County has 2 urban and 3 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.
Saunders County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Deuel 26.8
Deuel 26.8%
26.8 % low-access
- Johnson 26.2
Johnson 26.2%
26.2 % low-access
- Clay 24.7
Clay 24.7%
24.7 % low-access
- Saunders 24.5
Saunders 24.5%
24.5 % low-access
- Phelps 22.3
Phelps 22.3%
22.3 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,780 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,081 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,286 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,048 |
| Median Household Income | $94,066 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 407 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Saunders County
Saunders County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 18402, yutan
- dollar general 16459, ashland
- dollar general 2747, wahoo
- family dollar 7287, wahoo
Convenience Store · 3
- casey's general store 3850, wahoo
- casey's general store 2736, ashland
- warehouse surplus outlet inc, wahoo
Super Store · 1
- family fare 3727, wahoo
Supermarket · 1
- family fare 3787, ashland
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 Saunders County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Nationwide peers for Saunders County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Saunders County (4.6%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Nebraska.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NE (24.5% here).
- Pushmataha County, OK · 24.5% low-access
- Pushmataha County, OK · 24.5% low-access
- Laurel County, KY · 24.5% low-access
- Laurel County, KY · 24.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NE (4.6% here).
- Warren County, OH · 4.6% SNAP
- Warren County, OH · 4.6% SNAP
- Story County, IA · 4.6% SNAP
- Story County, IA · 4.6% 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.
Food access nationally, Nebraska in context
Saunders 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 Saunders County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31155. 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.