PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Iowa

Webster County, IA

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

32.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
11.0%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IA

The food-access picture

32.3% of Webster County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
6.7%
households, no vehicle
12.9%
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 Webster County's low-access share at 32.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,288 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,561 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 Webster County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Webster County's 32.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #795 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Webster County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Webster 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 Webster County, IA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (58.3%) 3 tracts limited (25.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 58% Limited 25% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Webster County, IA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Webster County vs. other Iowa counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Iowa

% 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 Webster County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,013
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population12,288
Low-Access Share32.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,561

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Webster County
IndicatorValue
Population36,886
Median Household Income$68,975
Poverty Rate12.9%near the national average
SNAP Households1,691
SNAP Participation Rate11.0%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population7.7%
SNAP participation in Webster County 11.0%

About 11.0% of Webster County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,691 households here.
  • 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Webster County

above the national share

2 of Webster County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 12,288 residents, roughly 32.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,561 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (58.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Webster County

Webster County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • casey's 3418, gowrie
  • casey's 2891, fort dodge
  • casey's general store 2014, fort dodge
  • casey's general store 2211, fort dodge
  • casey's general store 2515, dayton
  • casey's general store 2686, fort dodge
  • casey's general store 2813, fort dodge
  • caseys general store 1280, fort dodge
  • coalville stop-n-shop, fort dodge
  • dale's corner store, fort dodge
  • hiway 20 liquor & tobacco 1, fort dodge
  • kwik star 116, fort dodge
  • kwik star 509, fort dodge
  • kwik star 927, fort dodge
  • liquor tobacco outlet, fort dodge
  • murphy usa 6538, fort dodge
  • otho convenience and food, otho
  • sparky's one stop 24, harcourt

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • cvs pharmacy 10282, fort dodge
  • dollar general 18631, dayton
  • dollar general 2839, fort dodge
  • dollar general 30888, fort dodge
  • dollar general 31046, fort dodge
  • dollar tree 2726, fort dodge
  • family dollar 5145, fort dodge
  • walgreens 5361, fort dodge

Super Store · 4

  • fareway stores, inc. 508, fort dodge
  • hy-vee food & drugtown 1192, fort dodge
  • target stores t- 0878, fort dodge
  • walmart sc 886, fort dodge

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys ia023, fort dodge

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • market on market, gowrie

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 72059, fort dodge

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Iowa

Adair County
8.0% low-access · 9.8% SNAP
Adams County
6.4% low-access · 9.5% SNAP
Allamakee County
10.9% low-access · 8.3% SNAP
Appanoose County
15.7% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Audubon County
7.4% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Benton County
17.0% low-access · 4.8% SNAP

Compare Webster County vs Adair County → · All Iowa counties →

Food access nationally, Iowa in context

Webster County sits inside Iowa (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 Webster County has low food access? ▼
32.3% of residents in Webster County, IA 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 Webster County? ▼
11.0% of households in Webster County receive SNAP, covering 1,691 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Webster County? ▼
The poverty rate in Webster County, IA is 12.9%, with a median household income of $68,975 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Webster County a food desert? ▼
2 of Webster County's 12 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 Webster County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.7% of households in Webster 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.