County food-access profile · Nebraska
Scotts Bluff County, NE
Most of Scotts Bluff County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 7.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 36K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.7% of Scotts Bluff County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 728
- food-desert residents
- 7.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.9%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Scotts Bluff County fares better than most: just 7.7% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,834 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Scotts Bluff County compares nationally
Food access in Scotts Bluff County compares favorably nationally: its 7.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 15% of them (rank #2,665).
Scotts Bluff County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Scotts Bluff County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Scotts Bluff County vs. other Nebraska counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nebraska
- Scotts Bluff 7.7
Scotts Bluff County, NE
7.7 % low-access
- Adams 35
Adams County, NE
35 % low-access
- Antelope 12.9
Antelope County, NE
12.9 % low-access
- Arthur
Arthur County, NE
100 % low-access
- Banner
Banner County, NE
98.5 % low-access
- Blaine
Blaine County, NE
100 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,970 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,834 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 728 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 35,843 |
| Median Household Income | $63,614 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,799 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
About 11.9% of Scotts Bluff County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.7% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,799 households here.
- 7.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $63,614 with a 12.9% poverty rate.
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 Scotts Bluff County
below the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 2,834 residents, roughly 7.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 728 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (90.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Scotts Bluff County
Scotts Bluff County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 9 locations (41% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 18830, morrill
- dollar general 23029, minatare
- dollar general 25593, scottsbluff
- dollar general 7717, gering
- dollar general 8193, mitchell
- dollar general store 8126, scottsbluff
- dollar tree 7840, scottsbluff
- family dollar 7573, scottsbluff
- walgreens 07383, scottsbluff
Convenience Store · 7
- east o watering hole, scottsbluff
- git n split # 17, scottsbluff
- kwik stop 17, mitchell
- kwik stop 18, morrill
- loaf n jug 750333, gering
- nutters bulk & natural foods 101, scottsbluff
- pony express station, gering
Super Store · 4
- fresh foods, gering
- main street market, scottsbluff
- target stores t- 0831, scottsbluff
- walmart sc 0867, scottsbluff
Supermarket · 2
- fresh foods 7, mitchell
- safeway 556, scottsbluff
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Nebraska
Compare Scotts Bluff County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Food access nationally, Nebraska in context
Scotts Bluff County sits inside Nebraska (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 Scotts Bluff County has low food access? ▼
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What is the poverty rate in Scotts Bluff County? ▼
Is Scotts Bluff County a food desert? ▼
What share of Scotts Bluff 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.