Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Van Buren County, IA
Van Buren County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 24.3% low-access.
- 24.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 8.0%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Van Buren County, IA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.2 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.0% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 10.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Palo Alto County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Van Buren County ranks #1,347 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #25 of 98 counties in IA (24.3% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,347
- national by low-access %
- #25
- in IA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 636
- 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: 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Van Buren County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Van Buren County's 24.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,347 most-affected nationwide.
Van Buren County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 2 of Van Buren 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.
Van Buren County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Humboldt 24.5
Humboldt 24.5%
24.5 % low-access
- Palo Alto 24.4
Palo Alto 24.4%
24.4 % low-access
- Van Buren 24.3
Van Buren 24.3%
24.3 % low-access
- Jackson 24
Jackson 24%
24 % low-access
- Cherokee 23.3
Cherokee 23.3%
23.3 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,570 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,838 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 636 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,241 |
| Median Household Income | $61,161 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 232 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.2%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Van Buren County
Van Buren County has 11 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 11 authorized stores; Bonaparte holds 18% of them. 3 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Farmington, Milton, Birmingham.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bonaparte | 2 | 1 |
| Farmington | 2 | none |
| Keosauqua | 2 | 1 |
| Milton | 2 | none |
| Birmingham | 1 | none |
| Cantril | 1 | 1 |
| Douds | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 4
- casey's 2592, farmington
- jet stop bonaparte 500, bonaparte
- jet stop milton, milton
- pump n pizza birmingham, birmingham
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 16104, keosauqua
- dollar general 21550, farmington
- dollar general 25853, milton
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- boyd grocery inc, keosauqua
- moores grocery and deli, douds
- township grocery, bonaparte
Super Store · 1
- dutchmans store, cantril
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Iowa
One of 98 counties in Iowa, 6 are shown here.
Compare Van Buren County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Iowa among West North Central states
Iowa ranks 7th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (20.0%). Van Buren County, at 24.3%, runs 4.3 pts above the Iowa 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 Van Buren County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19177. 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.