County food-access profile · Iowa
Scott County, IA
Scott County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 13.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.3%
- on SNAP
- 175K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.9% of Scott County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 47 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 6.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.5%
- 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).
Scott County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.9% per the USDA Atlas. 11 of the county's 47 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 22,928 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,705 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 Scott County compares nationally
Scott County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.9% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,211).
Scott County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 47 census tracts in Scott County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Scott County vs. other Iowa counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa
- Scott
Scott County, IA
13.9 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, IA
8 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, IA
6.4 % low-access
- Allamakee
Allamakee County, IA
10.9 % low-access
- Appanoose
Appanoose County, IA
15.7 % low-access
- Audubon
Audubon County, IA
7.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 47 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 165,224 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 22,928 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,705 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 174,608 |
| Median Household Income | $78,277 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,544 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 10.3% of Scott County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,544 households here.
- 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Scott County
near the national share
2 of Scott County's 47 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 4.3% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 22,928 residents, roughly 13.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,705 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 36 tracts (76.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Scott County
Scott County has 168 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 100 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 100
- as food and gas inc, davenport
- bettendorf fast & fresh 1037, bettendorf
- big 10 mart 18, davenport
- big 10 mart 22, davenport
- big 10 mart 24, davenport
- big 10 mart 25, eldridge
- big 10 mart 27, eldridge
- big 10 mart 62, bettendorf
- big 10 mart 69, bettendorf
- brady mart, davenport
- brady shell inc, davenport
- casey's 3288, blue grass
- casey's general store 1922, walcott
- casey's general store 2077, davenport
- casey's general store 2092, davenport
- casey's general store 2168, davenport
- casey's general store 2429, bettendorf
- casey's general store 2493, buffalo
- casey's general store 2531, eldridge
- casey's general store 3523, eldridge
- caseys general store 1020, le claire
- caseys general store 1061, princeton
- caseys general store 1068, davenport
- cody mart gas & liquor, le claire
- davenport #1 fast and fresh 7530, davenport
- dhakals llc, davenport
- division mart, davenport
- express lane gas & food mart 41, davenport
- express lane gas & food mart 44, buffalo
- express lane gas & food mart 62, bettendorf
- express lane gas & food mart 77, davenport
- express lane gas & food mart 83, davenport
- express lane gas & food mart 84, davenport
- express lane gas & food mart 86, davenport
- express lane gas & food mart 87, davenport
- expresslane 26, bettendorf
- expresslane 79, pleasant valley
- expresslane 85, le claire
- ez stop, davenport
- gd xprss, davenport
- golden mart inc., davenport
- hilltop grocery llc, davenport
- hp fuels, bettendorf
- hy-vee gas 5109, davenport
- i-80 shell inc, davenport
- india mart, bettendorf
- iowa mini mart, davenport
- jesses mart, davenport
- kc brothers, davenport
- keya foodmart inc, davenport
- kwik star 1005, le claire
- kwik star 1007, bettendorf
- kwik star 1039, bettendorf
- kwik star 1071, davenport
- kwik star 123, davenport
- kwik star 167, davenport
- kwik star 1705, bettendorf
- kwik star 215, davenport
- kwik star 280, davenport
- kwik star 291, davenport
- kwik star 299, bettendorf
- kwik star 929, bettendorf
- kwik stop 1, davenport
- kwik trip 294, davenport
- loves travel stop 476, davenport
- moti's food n/a, davenport
- murphy usa 6973, davenport
- perfect value liquor mart, eldridge
- pilot travel center 268, walcott
- pilot travel center 43, walcott
- pilot travel center 636, davenport
- qc mart, davenport
- qc mart, davenport
- qc mart, davenport
- qc mart elmore, davenport
- qc mart rockingham 13, davenport
- qc marts, davenport
- qc marts, leclaire
- qc mart - grant 20, bettendorf
- qc mart - middle 19, bettendorf
- qc marts, davenport
- ridhi rose mart 1, davenport
- sc mini mart, davenport
- sam food llc, davenport
- speedway 4221, davenport
- state food mart, bettendorf
- stop-n-go 562, davenport
- super market, davenport
- super saver tobacco & liquor, davenport
- the gas spot 5516, eldridge
- the gas spot 5517, davenport
- the gas spot 5519, davenport
- the gas spot 5521, davenport
- the goods spot 5522, davenport
- the goods spot 5524, davenport
- tobacco outlet plus 502, bettendorf
- w mart, davenport
- westside grocery, davenport
- y r inc, bettendorf
- yana mart llc, davenport
Combination Grocery/Other · 34
- cvs pharmacy 8633, bettendorf
- cvs pharmacy 8658, davenport
- dollar general 19449, davenport
- dollar general 19514, princeton
- dollartree 10463, davenport
- dollartree 9360, bettendorf
- dollar general 0254, davenport
- dollar general 10772, eldridge
- dollar general 10776, bettendorf
- dollar general 10846, davenport
- dollar general 12897, blue grass
- dollar general 18154, walcott
- dollar general 25818, davenport
- dollar general 25959, bettendorf
- dollar general 2772, davenport
- dollar general 2913, davenport
- dollar general 30307, davenport
- dollar general 30700, davenport
- dollar general 4010, davenport
- dollar general 9381, davenport
- dollar tree 3378, davenport
- dollar tree 5423, davenport
- dollar tree 736, davenport
- dollar tree 7619, davenport
- dollartree 9121, davenport
- family dollar 1879, davenport
- family dollar 1907, davenport
- great midwest seafood company, davenport
- walgreens 04041, davenport
- walgreens 06553, bettendorf
- walgreens 3595, davenport
- walgreens 5239, davenport
- walgreens 5512, bettendorf
- walgreens 6186, davenport
Super Store · 17
- costco wholesale 1325, davenport
- davenport fast and fresh #2 7531, davenport
- fareway stores, inc. 044, bettendorf
- fareway stores, inc. 237, le claire
- fareway stores, inc. 987, davenport
- fresh thyme market 952dav, davenport
- hy-vee 1167, eldridge
- hy-vee food & drugstore 1107, davenport
- hy-vee food store 1037, bettendorf
- hy-vee food store 1105, davenport
- hy-vee food store 1106, davenport
- hy-vee food store 1108, davenport
- hy-vee food store 1109, davenport
- sam's club 8238, davenport
- target stores t- 0533, davenport
- walmart sc 1241, davenport
- walmart sc 5115, davenport
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 60041 60041, davenport
- aldi 68015, davenport
- aldi 68079, bettendorf
- aldi 68081, davenport
- gordon restaurant market m239, davenport
- save more, davenport
- vitamin cottage natural food market u139, davenport
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- abarrotes carrillo, davenport
- jeffs market, blue grass
- mawua food market, davenport
- oriental food, davenport
- qc india market, bettendorf
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's ia 008, bettendorf
- papa murphy's ia 046, davenport
Farmers' Market · 1
- freight house farmers' market, davenport
Large Grocery Store · 1
- tpc cash & carry, davenport
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- johnnies market inc, davenport
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Iowa
Compare Scott County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Food access nationally, Iowa in context
Scott County sits inside Iowa (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 Scott County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Scott County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Scott County? ▼
Is Scott County a food desert? ▼
What share of Scott 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.