Signature · 26 SNAP-authorized stores
Shelby County, IL
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).
- 21.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.0%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Shelby County, IL
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 21.4% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH -0.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Whiteside County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Shelby County ranks #1,572 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #53 of 102 counties in IL (21.4% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,572
- national by low-access %
- #53
- in IL
- 2
- 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: 26 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Shelby County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Shelby County's 21.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,572 most-affected nationwide.
Shelby County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Shelby County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Shelby County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Illinois, not a full county-board reprint
- Scott
Scott 66.5%
66.5 % low-access
- Shelby 21.4
Shelby 21.4%
21.4 % low-access
- Whiteside 21.3
Whiteside 21.3%
21.3 % low-access
- Hardin 21.1
Hardin 21.1%
21.1 % low-access
- Franklin 21
Franklin 21%
21 % low-access
- Kane 21
Kane 21%
21 % low-access
- Putnam 0.1
Putnam 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 22,363 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,791 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,335 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,720 |
| Median Household Income | $72,095 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,245 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
Thick SNAP store book in Shelby County
Shelby County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
10 towns share the 26 authorized stores; Shelbyville holds 35% of them. 8 of the 10 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Windsor, Cowden, Findlay, Stewardson, Herrick, Oconee and 2 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville | 9 | 2 |
| Windsor | 4 | none |
| Moweaqua | 3 | 1 |
| Cowden | 2 | none |
| Findlay | 2 | none |
| Stewardson | 2 | none |
| Herrick | 1 | none |
| Oconee | 1 | none |
| Strasburg | 1 | none |
| Tower Hill | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 13
- casey's 2833, moweaqua
- casey's general store 1642, tower hill
- casey's general store 1672, windsor
- casey's general store 1903, shelbyville
- cowden marathon, cowden
- findlay one stop, findlay
- highland mart, strasburg
- rj's hardware and rentals, herrick
- shelbyville marathon 1, shelbyville
- shelbyville moto 3124, shelbyville
- shyam food mart, shelbyville
- stewardson 66, stewardson
- windsor fast stop 306, windsor
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs 6922, shelbyville
- dollar general 1123, shelbyville
- dollar general 16204, cowden
- dollar general 17846, windsor
- dollar general 23507, findlay
- dollar general 23529, stewardson
- dollar tree 8346, shelbyville
- oconee chop shop, oconee
- windsor food center, windsor
Large Grocery Store · 1
- wades quality meats, shelbyville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- moweaqua packing plant inc, moweaqua
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- moweaqua food mart, moweaqua
Super Store · 1
- walmart 4259, shelbyville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Illinois
One of 101 counties in Illinois, 6 are shown here.
Compare Shelby County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Nationwide peers for Shelby County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Shelby County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IL (21.4% here).
- Ellis County, KS · 21.4% low-access
- Washington County, TX · 21.4% low-access
- Clay County, IN · 21.3% low-access
- Bulloch County, GA · 21.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IL (14.0% here).
- Caldwell County, KY · 14.0% SNAP
- Howell County, MO · 14.0% SNAP
- North Slope Borough, AK · 14.0% SNAP
- Monroe County, AL · 14.0% 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.
Illinois among East North Central states
Illinois ranks 5th of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.2%). Shelby County, at 21.4%, runs 1.2 pts above the Illinois rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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, IL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 17173. 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.