Signature · 15.3% SNAP (99th pct in IA)
Wapello County, IA
Wapello County stands out on SNAP (15.3%, +3.2 pts vs U.S.) with 50.4% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 50.4%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 15.3%
- on SNAP
- 35K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Wapello County, IA
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 50.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +28.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 45% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Wayne County ( -10.4 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Wapello County sits in the upper national band (50.4%, #201 of 3,079) with 5 LILA tracts.
- #201
- national by low-access %
- #2
- in IA
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 15.3% SNAP (99th pct in IA) (+3.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Wapello County compares nationally
Wapello County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 50.4% low-access share outpaces 94% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #201 most-affected nationwide.
Wapello County's elevated USDA tier split
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Wapello County has 8 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Wapello County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Iowa, not a full county-board reprint
- Fremont
Fremont 76%
76 % low-access
- Wapello
Wapello 50.4%
50.4 % low-access
- Wayne
Wayne 40%
40 % low-access
- Howard
Howard 37.8%
37.8 % low-access
- Henry
Henry 33.6%
33.6 % low-access
- Webster
Webster 32.3%
32.3 % low-access
- Grundy 0
Grundy 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 35,625 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 17,946 |
| Low-Access Share | 50.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,241 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 35,362 |
| Median Household Income | $64,766 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,148 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
Thick SNAP store book in Wapello County
Wapello County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- agency bp 1, agency
- albia rd bp 2, ottumwa
- casey's general store 1609, eldon
- casey's general store 1678, ottumwa
- casey's general store 1886, ottumwa
- casey's general store 2208, ottumwa
- caseys general store 007, ottumwa
- caseys general store 057, eddyville
- eddyville travel plaza 21, eddyville
- hwy 63 south bp 8, ottumwa
- hy-vee c-store 5505, ottumwa
- hy-vee gas 5504, ottumwa
- mad ave quik shop, ottumwa
- murphy usa 6945, ottumwa
- north court bp 11, ottumwa
- penn & jeff bp 12, ottumwa
- richmond and ferry bp 13, ottumwa
- west 2nd bp 15, ottumwa
- yesway 10012, ottumwa
- yesway 10013, ottumwa
- yesway 10014, ottumwa
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 20034, eldon
- dollar general 22207, eddyville
- dollar general 24713, ottumwa
- dollar general 2898, ottumwa
- dollar general 30778, ottumwa
- dollar general 7179, ottumwa
- dollar tree 3141, ottumwa
- walgreens 1301, ottumwa
Small Grocery Store · 4
- agape african american market, ottumwa
- la guadalupana, ottumwa
- m-p oriental market, ottumwa
- mexico lindo, ottumwa
Super Store · 4
- fareway stores, inc. 648, ottumwa
- hy-vee food store 1504, ottumwa
- hy-vee food store 1505, ottumwa
- walmart sc 1285, ottumwa
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- golden karen llc, ottumwa
- j m asian market, ottumwa
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 41073, ottumwa
- hy-vee drugstore, ottumwa
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 Wapello County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →
Counties near Wapello County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Wapello County (15.3%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Iowa.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside IA (50.4% here).
- Socorro County, NM · 50.2% low-access
- Hancock County, WV · 50.2% low-access
- Dooly County, GA · 50.6% low-access
- Okeechobee County, FL · 50.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside IA (15.3% here).
- Marion County, KY · 15.3% SNAP
- Marion County, KY · 15.3% SNAP
- Christian County, IL · 15.3% SNAP
- Christian County, IL · 15.3% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Wapello County inside a higher low-access state context
Wapello County sits inside Iowa (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Wapello County, IA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 19179. 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.