PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Tazewell County, IL

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Tazewell 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).

39.3%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
10.4%
on SNAP
130K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

39.3% of Tazewell County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

17
low-access tracts
13K
food-desert residents
5.5%
households, no vehicle
9.0%
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).

USDA data puts Tazewell County's low-access share at 39.3%, above the national share. 17 of the county's 30 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 53,222 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 12,558 low-income residents.

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 Tazewell County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Tazewell County's 39.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #427 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Tazewell County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 30 census tracts in Tazewell 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 Tazewell County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 13 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 14 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 30 tracts evaluated. 13 tracts adequate (43.3%) 14 tracts limited (46.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (10.0%) Adequate 43% Limited 47% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Tazewell County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Tazewell 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 Tazewell County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts30
Atlas Population (2010 basis)135,394
Low-Access Tracts17
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population53,222
Low-Access Share39.3%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population12,558

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Tazewell County
IndicatorValue
Population130,290
Median Household Income$77,982
Poverty Rate9.0%below the national average
SNAP Households5,605
SNAP Participation Rate10.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.3%
SNAP participation in Tazewell County 10.4%

About 10.4% of Tazewell County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 39.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,605 households here.
  • 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

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 Tazewell County

above the national share

3 of Tazewell County's 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.

A further 14 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 17.

An estimated 53,222 residents, roughly 39.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 12,558 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 13 tracts (43.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Tazewell County

Tazewell County has 109 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 53 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 53

  • beck's 15, pekin
  • beck's 30, washington
  • brake time 225632, pekin
  • casey's 4630, washington
  • casey's 5141, tremont
  • casey's general store 3547, east peoria
  • casey's general store 1380, hopedale
  • casey's general store 1498, north pekin
  • casey's general store 1507, deer creek
  • casey's general store 1597, creve coeur
  • casey's general store 1614, groveland
  • casey's general store 1618, green valley
  • casey's general store 1627, minier
  • casey's general store 1656, washington
  • casey's general store 1900, morton
  • casey's general store 2158, washington
  • casey's general store 2210, north pekin
  • casey's general store 2236, pekin
  • casey's general store 2358, tremont
  • casey's general store 2649, delavan
  • casey's general store 3053, mackinaw
  • casey's general store 3457, pekin
  • casey's general store 3466, morton
  • casey's general store 3497, south pekin
  • circle k 161, morton
  • circle k 4700125, east peoria
  • circle k 4701202, pekin
  • circle k 4701410, washington
  • circle k 4701424, morton
  • express mart, east peoria
  • fast stop, east peoria
  • general store bayview, east peoria
  • gk mart, pekin
  • huck's 357, east peoria
  • j & l 66, east peoria
  • kaizen food and gas llc, broadway, pekin
  • kaizen food and gas llc morton, morton
  • mahi short shop, east peoria
  • morton food mart inc, morton
  • narmada retails llc, tremont
  • pekin marathon, pekin
  • pekin pointe, pekin
  • pp 1008 inc, washington
  • quick pic liquor, pekin
  • quick stop, east peoria
  • s & r malahee inc, pekin
  • s&a malahee, pekin
  • sasa gasmart inc, minier
  • thorntons 350, creve coeur
  • thorntons 351, east peoria
  • thorntons 352, east peoria
  • thorntons 353, pekin
  • zenith enterprises inc, creve coeur

Combination Grocery/Other · 34

  • cvs 6451, pekin
  • cvs 6453, east peoria
  • cvs pharmacy 6448, washington
  • cvs pharmacy 6452, morton
  • dollar general 0563, morton
  • dollar general 0642, washington
  • dollar general 1231, east peoria
  • dollar general 14347, south pekin
  • dollar general 14470, mackinaw
  • dollar general 18320, hopedale
  • dollar general 4563, pekin
  • dollar general 666, pekin
  • dollar general 8435, delavan
  • dollar general 8502, marquette hts
  • dollar tree 3404, pekin
  • dollartree, east peoria
  • dollar general 10783, washington
  • dollar general 11732, creve coeur
  • dollar general 15782, tremont
  • dollar general 17714, east peoria
  • dollar general 22030, east peoria
  • dollar general 22319, minier
  • dollar general 24664, pekin
  • dollar general 25602, creve coeur
  • dollar tree 1885, morton
  • dollar tree 5528, east peoria
  • dollar tree 6595, pekin
  • dollar tree 7022, washington
  • family dollar 4327, pekin
  • lindy's downtown market, washington
  • walgreens 04732, pekin
  • walgreens 11493, pekin
  • walgreens 5088, east peoria
  • walgreens 03763, washington

Super Store · 12

  • costco wholesale 1126, east peoria
  • kroger 647, morton
  • kroger 657, washington
  • kroger 705, east peoria
  • kroger j923 923, pekin
  • schnucks 724, pekin
  • target 2824, east peoria
  • valu check 149, pekin
  • walmart 1421, washington
  • walmart 5157, morton
  • walmart supercenter 1028, e peoria
  • walmart supercenter 603, pekin

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 68027 68027, pekin
  • aldi 68085, morton
  • aldi 75034 75034, east peoria
  • aldi 68086, washington

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • mackinaw foods llc, mackinaw
  • save-a-lot 24037, pekin

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys pizza il058, pekin

Farmers' Market · 1

  • morton farmers market n more, morton

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • musselman meats, morton

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • dixons fish dock, east peoria

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 Tazewell County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Tazewell 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 Tazewell County has low food access? ▼
39.3% of residents in Tazewell 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 Tazewell County? ▼
10.4% of households in Tazewell County receive SNAP, covering 5,605 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Tazewell County? ▼
The poverty rate in Tazewell County, IL is 9.0%, with a median household income of $77,982 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Tazewell County a food desert? ▼
3 of Tazewell County's 30 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Tazewell County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.5% of households in Tazewell 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.