PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Vermilion County, IL

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

22.9%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
19.5%
on SNAP
72K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

22.9% of Vermilion County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

11
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
9.1%
households, no vehicle
17.7%
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 Vermilion County's low-access share at 22.9%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 24 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 18,703 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,919 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 Vermilion County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Vermilion County's 22.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,460 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Vermilion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 24 census tracts in Vermilion 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 Vermilion County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 13 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 24 tracts evaluated. 13 tracts adequate (54.2%) 5 tracts limited (20.8%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 54% Limited 21% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Vermilion County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Vermilion 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 Vermilion County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts24
Atlas Population (2010 basis)81,625
Low-Access Tracts11
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population18,703
Low-Access Share22.9%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,919

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Vermilion County
IndicatorValue
Population72,386
Median Household Income$56,877
Poverty Rate17.7%above the national average
SNAP Households5,877
SNAP Participation Rate19.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.1%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.0%
SNAP participation in Vermilion County 19.5%

About 19.5% of Vermilion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,877 households here.
  • 9.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Vermilion County

above the national share

6 of Vermilion County's 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.

An estimated 18,703 residents, roughly 22.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,919 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 13 tracts (54.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Vermilion County

Vermilion County has 85 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 41 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 41

  • a1 food market, danville
  • bhullar & company, danville
  • bp mini mart n/a, danville
  • brake time, tilton
  • brake time, georgetown
  • brake time, oakwood
  • casey's general store 1512, catlin
  • casey's general store 1524, ridge farm
  • casey's general store 1539, georgetown
  • casey's general store 1555, rankin
  • casey's general store 1698, oakwood
  • casey's general store 1700, westville
  • casey's general store 1719, fairmount
  • casey's general store 1788, danville
  • casey's general store 2259, tilton
  • casey's general store 2262, danville
  • casey's general store 2483, potomac
  • casey's general store 2637, rossville
  • casey's general store 3952, hoopeston
  • circle k 1299, danville
  • circle k 4701404, danville
  • circle k 4701405, danville
  • danville c store corp, danville
  • danville grocery & deli, danville
  • express fuel, danville
  • get & go 1, danville
  • hoopeston marathon, hoopeston
  • jdn inc, danville
  • jyoti1 inc, danville
  • kinnu fuel, danville
  • love's travel stop 750, oakwood
  • mach 1 24, danville
  • meijer gas station 269, danville
  • murphy usa 6511, danville
  • niros king inc, danville
  • one stop express mart, inc., danville
  • pilot travel center 171, oakwood
  • shortstop grocery2, danville
  • speedway 6509, oakwood
  • the blue store, danville
  • westville 66, westville

Combination Grocery/Other · 28

  • cvs 6924, westville
  • cvs 6937, danville
  • cvs pharmacy 6927, hoopeston
  • dollar general 1131, westville
  • dollar general 1878, danville
  • dollar general 2236, hoopeston
  • dollar general 2944, danville
  • dollar general 3820, danville
  • dollar general 4394, danville
  • dollartree 8896, danville
  • dollar general 11761, oakwood
  • dollar general 12494, rossville
  • dollar general 16180, danville
  • dollar general 16397, georgetown
  • dollar general 20864, potomac
  • dollar general 22647, ridge farm
  • dollar general 23263, hoopeston
  • dollar general 25189, bismarck
  • dollar general 25823, danville
  • dollar general store 12709, danville
  • dollar general store 12842, catlin
  • dollar tree 2124, danville
  • dollar tree 7352, danville
  • family dollar store 1244, danville
  • family dollar store 1380, tilton
  • family dollar store 4013, georgetown
  • family dollar store 7405, danville
  • walgreens 12787, danville

Super Store · 5

  • county market 510, danville
  • county market 512, tilton
  • meijer 269, danville
  • ruler 246, danville
  • walmart supercenter 2491, danville

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 68089 68089, danville
  • danville save-a-lot 45174, danville
  • hoopeston iga 387, hoopeston
  • kens iga foodliner, westville

Farmers' Market · 2

  • danville farmer's market, danville
  • danville farmers market, danville

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • heavenly square grocery, danville
  • tienda mexicana voluntad de dios, danville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • save a lot 45095, georgetown

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • vincent rawhide meats llc, danville

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • sidell grocery, sidell

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 Vermilion County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Vermilion 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 Vermilion County has low food access? ▼
22.9% of residents in Vermilion 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 Vermilion County? ▼
19.5% of households in Vermilion County receive SNAP, covering 5,877 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Vermilion County? ▼
The poverty rate in Vermilion County, IL is 17.7%, with a median household income of $56,877 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Vermilion County a food desert? ▼
6 of Vermilion County's 24 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 Vermilion County households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.1% of households in Vermilion 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.