County food-access profile · Indiana
Tippecanoe County, IN
Tippecanoe County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 40.2%
- low-access pop.
- 12
- food-desert tracts
- 7.2%
- on SNAP
- 189K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
40.2% of Tippecanoe County residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 23
- low-access tracts
- 30K
- food-desert residents
- 9.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.2%
- 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).
Tippecanoe County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 40.2% is well above the national share. 23 of the county's 37 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 69,391 people. 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 30,127 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 Tippecanoe County compares nationally
Tippecanoe County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.2% low-access share outpaces 87% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #392 most-affected nationwide.
Tippecanoe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 37 census tracts in Tippecanoe County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Tippecanoe County vs. other Indiana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Indiana
- Tippecanoe
Tippecanoe County, IN
40.2 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, IN
17.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, IN
37.8 % low-access
- Bartholomew
Bartholomew County, IN
36.4 % low-access
- Benton 1.7
Benton County, IN
1.7 % low-access
- Blackford 15.2
Blackford County, IN
15.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 37 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 172,780 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 23 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 12 |
| Low-Access Population | 69,391 |
| Low-Access Share | 40.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 30,127 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 189,071 |
| Median Household Income | $60,636 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,470 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.7%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.7% |
About 7.2% of Tippecanoe County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 40.2% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,470 households here.
- 9.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 12 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 Tippecanoe County
well above the national share
12 of Tippecanoe County's 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 32.4% of all its tracts.
A further 11 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 23.
An estimated 69,391 residents, roughly 40.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 30,127 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (37.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Tippecanoe County
Tippecanoe County has 132 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 67 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 67
- 4th market llc, lafayette
- aanjal inc, lafayette
- baklava plus, west lafayette
- battle ground mini mart, battle ground
- beni's bodega food market, lafayette
- casey's general store 2356, lafayette
- circle k 2240, lafayette
- circle k 2261, lafayette
- circle k 4702300, lafayette
- circle k 4702400, west lafayette
- circle k 4702408, lafayette
- circle k 4702409, lafayette
- circle k 4702410, lafayette
- daily express 1, lafayette
- daily express 3, lafayette
- dayton petroleum inc., dayton
- downtown market inc., lafayette
- fairgrounds market llc, lafayette
- family express 38, lafayette
- family express 41, lafayette
- family express 43, lafayette
- family express 44, west lafayette
- family express 48, lafayette
- fe33 - purdue 33, west lafayette
- fe68-lafayette sagamore 68, lafayette
- fm petroleum llc, lafayette
- friendly market 350, lafayette
- friendly spot llc, lafayette
- friendlys market, lafayette
- g & g gasoline 1 llc, lafayette
- gas america 8083, lafayette
- go mart llc, lafayette
- hsrk golo, west lafayette
- jb battlefield service, west lafayette
- kossuth go mart, lafayette
- lafayette market llc, lafayette
- leo's market and eatery, llc 06, lafayette
- love's travel stop 874, lafayette
- lucky mart, lafayette
- lukes 226, lafayette
- meijer gas station 137, lafayette
- meijer gas station 186, west lafayette
- murphy usa 7401, lafayette
- parkway petroleum inc, lafayette
- perfect mart llc, lafayette
- quick pantry 10, lafayette
- quick pantry 11, lafayette
- quick pantry 9, lafayette
- quick pantry llc, lafayette
- quick pantry vii, lafayette
- romney petroleum inc, lafayette
- salem st market inc., lafayette
- salisbury market, west lafayette
- speedway 1311, lafayette
- speedway 3310, lafayette
- speedway 6383, lafayette
- speedway 7272, lafayette
- speedway 7288, west lafayette
- speedway 7675, lafayette
- speedway 8064, west lafayette
- speedway 8534, west lafayette
- tower corners, lafayette
- twyckenham foodmart, lafayette
- village pantry 5446, west lafayette
- village pantry 5564, lafayette
- village pantry 5482, lafayette
- y2 petro inc, lafayette
Combination Grocery/Other · 30
- cmpj market, lafayette
- cvs 8680, lafayette
- cvs pharmacy 10257, west lafayette
- cvs pharmacy 6677, lafayette
- cvs pharmacy 8651, west lafayette
- cvs pharmacy 8657, lafayette
- dollar general 14650, lafayette
- dollar general 2661, lafayette
- dollar general 4598, lafayette
- dollar general 6814, west lafayette
- dollartree 11019, lafayette
- dollartree 8192, lafayette
- dollartree 8941, lafayette
- dollartree 9234, lafayette
- dollar general 10819, lafayette
- dollar general 19725, dayton
- dollar general 20690, west point
- dollar general 21522, lafayette
- dollar general 22190, lafayette
- dollar general store 12826, romney
- dollar general store 3657, lafayette
- dollar tree 0514, lafayette
- dollar tree 1809, lafayette
- dollar tree 7054, west lafayette
- indian and international grocery 1, west lafayette
- safari global market llc, lafayette
- walgreens 6456, w lafayette
- walgreens 04371, lafayette
- walgreens 10858, lafayette
- walgreens 10974, lafayette
Super Store · 14
- fresh thyme market 202laf, lafayette
- fresh thyme market 216wlf, west lafayette
- kroger j 843, lafayette
- meijer 186, west lafayette
- meijer inc 137, lafayette
- pay less 824, west lafayette
- pay less 827, lafayette
- payless j-822, lafayette
- sam's club 8169, lafayette
- target store 1762, lafayette
- target store t3309, west lafayette
- walmart 1547, lafayette
- walmart 2339, west lafayette
- walmart 3851, lafayette
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- amigail prodwi lakay llc, lafayette
- asia global market, west lafayette
- jalisco grocery, lafayette
- la plaza, lafayette
- la zacatecana grocery store llc, lafayette
- mi ranchito supermarket llc, lafayette
Small Grocery Store · 6
- carniceria la regia, lafayette
- la chiquita, lafayette
- oasis mexican grocery, west lafayette
- safari international market, lafayette
- the sunspot natural market 2, west lafayette
- yahweh-nissi haitian market, lafayette
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 44059 44059, lafayette
- aldi 44060, west lafayette
- gordon food service store mp031, lafayette
- la tapatia, lafayette
Farmers' Market · 2
- lafayette farmers market/purdue farmers market, lafayette
- west lafayette farmers market, west lafayette
Large Grocery Store · 2
- d & r specialities inc, lafayette
- otterbein express, west lafayette
Bakery Specialty · 1
- aunt millie's bakery outlet 50010, lafayette
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Indiana
Compare Tippecanoe County vs Adams County → · All Indiana counties →
Food access nationally, Indiana in context
Tippecanoe County sits inside Indiana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Tippecanoe County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Tippecanoe County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Tippecanoe County? ▼
Is Tippecanoe County a food desert? ▼
What share of Tippecanoe County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.