PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Stephenson County, IL

Most of Stephenson 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).

6.5%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
17.0%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

6.5% of Stephenson County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
809
food-desert residents
7.9%
households, no vehicle
13.9%
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, Stephenson County fares better than most: just 6.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 13 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,113 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 Stephenson County compares nationally

Food access in Stephenson County compares favorably nationally: its 6.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 13% of them (rank #2,731).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Stephenson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Stephenson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Stephenson County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (92.3%) 1 tracts limited (7.7%) Adequate 92% Limited 8% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Stephenson County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Stephenson County vs. other Illinois counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Stephenson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,711
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population3,113
Low-Access Share6.5%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population809

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Stephenson County
IndicatorValue
Population43,768
Median Household Income$64,043
Poverty Rate13.9%near the national average
SNAP Households3,291
SNAP Participation Rate17.0%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.9%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Stephenson County 17.0%

About 17.0% of Stephenson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 17.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,291 households here.
  • 7.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $64,043 with a 13.9% 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 Stephenson 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 3,113 residents, roughly 6.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 809 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (92.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Stephenson County

Stephenson County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • 1st stop, freeport
  • ali's convenience inc., freeport
  • boco freeport, freeport
  • casey's 2434, dakota
  • casey's general store 3482, lena
  • casey's general store 3652, freeport
  • cedarville mobil 16, cedarville
  • circle k 4701429, freeport
  • circle k 4701439, freeport
  • express lane gas & food mart 47, davis
  • expresslane 32, freeport
  • expresslane 48, freeport
  • fas mart 5223, freeport
  • freeport mobil 17, freeport
  • orangeville boco, orangeville
  • pearl city boco, pearl city
  • pride of freeport, freeport
  • three brothers market, freeport
  • west street mobil 15, freeport
  • winslow boco, winslow

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs pharmacy 8533, freeport
  • cvs pharmacy 8540, freeport
  • dollar general 4335, freeport
  • dollar general 6499, lena
  • dollar general 14378, freeport
  • dollar general 22301, orangeville
  • dollar general 22535, pearl city
  • dollar tree 1861, freeport
  • family dollar store 4384, freeport
  • walgreens 02584, freeport
  • walgreens 12287, freeport

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 40059 40059, freeport
  • cub foods #30914 1625, freeport
  • sullivan's foods 3161, freeport
  • sullivan's foods 3163, lena

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • aj's lena maid meats, inc, lena
  • arrow farm meats llc, rock city
  • harbach's meat, freeport

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's il013, freeport

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • galena supermarket & restaurant, freeport

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • horizon super market inc, freeport

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 1740, freeport

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Stephenson County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Stephenson County sits inside Illinois (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Stephenson County has low food access? ▼
6.5% of residents in Stephenson County, IL live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Stephenson County? ▼
17.0% of households in Stephenson County receive SNAP, covering 3,291 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Stephenson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Stephenson County, IL is 13.9%, with a median household income of $64,043 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Stephenson County a food desert? ▼
0 of Stephenson County's 13 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Stephenson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.9% of households in Stephenson County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.