Signature · 7.3% SNAP (31st pct in IA)
Shelby County, IA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Shelby 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).
- 21.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.3%
- on SNAP
- 12K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Shelby County, IA
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 21.9% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH -0.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Dallas County (+ 0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Shelby County ranks #1,535 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #36 of 98 counties in IA (21.9% low-access).
- #1,535
- national by low-access %
- #36
- in IA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 680
- 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: 7.3% SNAP (31st pct in IA) (-4.8 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Shelby County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Shelby County's 21.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,535 most-affected nationwide.
Shelby County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Shelby County has 1 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.
Shelby County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Floyd 22.2
Floyd 22.2%
22.2 % low-access
- Dallas 22.1
Dallas 22.1%
22.1 % low-access
- Union 22.1
Union 22.1%
22.1 % low-access
- Shelby 21.9
Shelby 21.9%
21.9 % low-access
- Cerro Gordo 21.6
Cerro Gordo 21.6%
21.6 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 12,167 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,671 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.9%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 680 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 11,778 |
| Median Household Income | $72,738 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 356 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
SNAP retailers in Shelby County
Shelby County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 4
- casey's general store 2914, harlan
- yesway 1009, harlan
- yesway store 1003, elk horn
- yesway store 1006, irwin
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 2377, harlan
- dollar general 25409, harlan
- family dollar 13183, harlan
Super Store · 2
- fareway stores, inc. 790, harlan
- hy-vee food store 1241, harlan
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Iowa
One of 98 counties in Iowa, 6 are shown here.
Compare Shelby County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Nationwide peers for Shelby County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Shelby County (7.3%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (21.9% here).
- Finney County, KS · 21.9% low-access
- Finney County, KS · 21.9% low-access
- Ashtabula County, OH · 21.9% low-access
- Ashtabula County, OH · 21.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (7.3% here).
- Ripley County, IN · 7.3% SNAP
- Ripley County, IN · 7.3% SNAP
- Bullitt County, KY · 7.3% SNAP
- Bullitt County, KY · 7.3% 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, Iowa in context
Shelby County sits inside Iowa (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 Shelby County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19165. 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.