Signature · 32.4% low-access (75th pct)
Seward County, NE
Seward County sits in the upper national band on low-access (32.4%, +10.3 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 32.4%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.4%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Seward County, NE
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 32.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +10.3 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Gage County (+ 0.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Seward County sits in the upper national band (32.4%, #784 of 3,079).
- #784
- national by low-access %
- #35
- in NE
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 32.4% low-access (75th pct) (+10.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Seward County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Seward County's 32.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #785 most-affected nationwide.
Seward County's elevated USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Seward County has 2 urban and 2 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.
Seward County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Box Butte 32.6
Box Butte 32.6%
32.6 % low-access
- Seward 32.4
Seward 32.4%
32.4 % low-access
- Gage 32.4
Gage 32.4%
32.4 % low-access
- Saline 32.2
Saline 32.2%
32.2 % low-access
- Sheridan 32
Sheridan 32%
32 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,750 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,424 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,236 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,641 |
| Median Household Income | $82,444 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.4%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 364 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.4%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.1% |
SNAP retailers in Seward County
Seward County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 3 locations (30% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 1547, seward
- dollar general 21962, milford
- pac n save 1, seward
Convenience Store · 3
- casey's 1622, milford
- casey's 2730, seward
- speedee mart 2875 2875, milford
Small Grocery Store · 2
- centennial market, utica
- main street market, milford
Farmers' Market · 1
- seward farmers market nafmnp, seward
Super Store · 1
- walmart sc 0885, seward
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 Seward County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Counties near Seward County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Seward County, both outside Nebraska so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NE (32.4% here).
- Jackson County, MS · 32.4% low-access
- Jackson County, MS · 32.4% low-access
- Curry County, NM · 32.4% low-access
- Curry County, NM · 32.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NE (5.4% here).
- Monmouth County, NJ · 5.4% SNAP
- Monmouth County, NJ · 5.4% SNAP
- Jasper County, IN · 5.4% SNAP
- Jasper County, IN · 5.4% 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.
Seward County inside a higher low-access state context
Seward 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 Seward County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31159. 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.