Signature · 14.7% SNAP (100th pct in NE)
Thurston County, NE
Thurston County stands out on SNAP (14.7%, +2.6 pts vs U.S.) with 3.3% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 3.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 14.7%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Thurston County, NE
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 3.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -18.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Nemaha County (+ 0.7 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Thurston County lands in the lower national band (3.3%, #2,901 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,901
- national by low-access %
- #91
- in NE
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 92
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 14.7% SNAP (100th pct in NE) (+2.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Thurston County compares nationally
Food access in Thurston County compares favorably nationally: its 3.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,901).
Thurston County's lower-band USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 2 of Thurston County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Thurston County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Nance 4.6
Nance 4.6%
4.6 % low-access
- Furnas 4.1
Furnas 4.1%
4.1 % low-access
- Nemaha 4
Nemaha 4%
4 % low-access
- Thurston 3.3
Thurston 3.3%
3.3 % low-access
- Kearney 2.5
Kearney 2.5%
2.5 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 6,940 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 229 |
| Low-Access Share | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 92 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,627 |
| Median Household Income | $69,177 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 293 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
SNAP retailers in Thurston County
Thurston County has 6 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 2 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 6 authorized stores; Pender holds 33% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Winnebago, Macy.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pender | 2 | 1 |
| Winnebago | 2 | none |
| Macy | 1 | none |
| Walthill | 1 | 1 |
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 9707, winnebago
- family dollar 13852, pender
Convenience Store · 2
- omaha nation c-store llc 1, macy
- pony express 7, winnebago
Large Grocery Store · 1
- cubby's pender community grocery store 116, pender
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- omaha nation supermarket, walthill
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 Thurston County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Nebraska among West North Central states
Nebraska ranks 6th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (21.9%). Thurston County, at 3.3%, runs 18.6 pts below the Nebraska rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
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 Thurston County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31173. 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.