PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Whiteside County, IL

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

21.3%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
14.1%
on SNAP
55K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

21.3% of Whiteside County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
5.8%
households, no vehicle
12.0%
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 Whiteside County's low-access share at 21.3%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,465 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,662 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 Whiteside County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Whiteside County's 21.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,581 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Whiteside County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Whiteside 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 Whiteside County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (55.6%) 4 tracts limited (22.2%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 56% Limited 22% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Whiteside County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Whiteside 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 Whiteside County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)58,498
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population12,465
Low-Access Share21.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,662

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Whiteside County
IndicatorValue
Population54,947
Median Household Income$67,500
Poverty Rate12.0%below the national average
SNAP Households3,252
SNAP Participation Rate14.1%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Whiteside County 14.1%

About 14.1% of Whiteside County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,252 households here.
  • 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Whiteside County

above the national share

4 of Whiteside County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 12,465 residents, roughly 21.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,662 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Whiteside County

Whiteside County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • casey's general store 3498, rock falls
  • casey's 2872, prophetstown
  • casey's general store 1726, sterling
  • casey's general store 1843, rock falls
  • casey's general store 1859, rock falls
  • casey's general store 2546, erie
  • casey's general store 2605, morrison
  • caseys general store 1304, tampico
  • circle k 4701436, sterling
  • express lane gas & food mart 18, sterling
  • express lane gas & food mart 4, rock falls
  • express lane gas & food mart 6, sterling
  • express lane gas & food mart 9, rock falls
  • expresslane 16, morrison
  • expresslane 36, fulton
  • expresslane 74, albany
  • first avenue mobil 72, rock falls
  • mobil mart, rock falls
  • morrison bp, morrison
  • polo road mobil 73, sterling
  • sterling food mart, sterling
  • stop & save il, sterling

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs 8663, sterling
  • dollar general 1452, fulton
  • dollar general 3558, sterling
  • dollar general 6883, prophetstown
  • dollar general 8150, morrison
  • dollar general 16615, erie
  • dollar general 30796, sterling
  • dollar general 31260, sterling
  • dollar general 3141, rock falls
  • dollar tree 6883, sterling
  • dollar tree 940, sterling
  • shaws marketplace 1889, prophetstown
  • walgreens 3559, sterling
  • walgreens 02473, rock falls

Medium Grocery Store · 4

  • el vaquero western wear, sterling
  • fulton meat market, fulton
  • la laguna market inc., sterling
  • shaheen's village market, erie

Super Store · 4

  • county market 348, sterling
  • kroger j-953, sterling
  • walmart 830, rock falls
  • walmart supercenter 891, sterling

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 68011 68011, sterling
  • save-a-lot 23619, rock falls
  • sullivan's foods 3166, morrison

Farmers' Market · 1

  • twin city farmers market, sterling

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • the butcher shop, sterling

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • schafers fisheries, fulton

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 Whiteside County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Whiteside 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 Whiteside County has low food access? ▼
21.3% of residents in Whiteside 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 Whiteside County? ▼
14.1% of households in Whiteside County receive SNAP, covering 3,252 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Whiteside County? ▼
The poverty rate in Whiteside County, IL is 12.0%, with a median household income of $67,500 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Whiteside County a food desert? ▼
4 of Whiteside County's 18 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 Whiteside County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.8% of households in Whiteside 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.