County food-access profile · Illinois
Will County, IL
Will County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 44.5%
- low-access pop.
- 16
- food-desert tracts
- 10.1%
- on SNAP
- 701K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
44.5% of Will County residents live in a low-access area, and 16 of its 151 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 85
- low-access tracts
- 50K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.3%
- 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).
Will County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 44.5% is well above the national share. 85 of the county's 151 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 301,286 people. 16 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 49,798 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 Will County compares nationally
Will County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 44.5% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #294 most-affected nationwide.
Will County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 151 census tracts in Will County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Will County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Will
Will County, IL
44.5 % low-access
- Adams 16.5
Adams County, IL
16.5 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, IL
49.6 % low-access
- Bond
Bond County, IL
20.8 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, IL
31.5 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, IL
34.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 151 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 677,560 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 85 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 16 |
| Low-Access Population | 301,286 |
| Low-Access Share | 44.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 49,798 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 701,462 |
| Median Household Income | $109,984 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 24,658 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.1%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 10.1% of Will County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 44.5% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 24,658 households here.
- 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 16 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 Will County
well above the national share
16 of Will County's 151 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.6% of all its tracts.
A further 69 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 85.
An estimated 301,286 residents, roughly 44.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 49,798 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 66 tracts (43.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Will County
Will County has 411 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 158 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 158
- 310 foodmart inc, joliet
- 4706760.0 6760, homer glen
- 500 food mart inc, steger
- 7-eleven #33031, joliet
- 7-eleven 13333, romeoville
- 7-eleven 33800b, frankfort
- 7-eleven 35054j, crest hill
- 7-eleven 38958h, plainfield
- 7-eleven store 29910j, bolingbrook
- 7-eleven store 33894h, shorewood
- 7-eleven #35048b 35048b, monee
- 7-eleven 33334c, new lenox
- 7-eleven 33379c, aurora
- 7-eleven 33905c, joliet
- bj's food & liquor 33859b, plainfield
- bady petroleum,inc, joliet
- bolingbrook bp inc, bolingbrook
- bp, crete
- bp, joliet
- bp romeoville, romeoville
- braidwood fuel inc, braidwood
- brake time, joliet
- brake time 221602, monee
- brake time 221603, manhattan
- brake time 221605, elwood
- brake time 221611, braidwood
- brake time 221615, wilmington
- casey's 2162, peotone
- casey's 3969, channahon
- casey's 6547, bolingbrook
- casey's 3390, beecher
- casey's 3981, new lenox
- casey's 6548, plainfield
- casey's general store 1984, braidwood
- chicago dreams food and liquor, joliet
- circle k 4700182, peotone
- circle k 4700185, wilmington
- circle k 4700193, beecher
- circle k 4701387, beecher
- circle k 4706703, mokena
- circle k 4706705, crete
- circle k 4706717, bolingbrook
- circle k 4706718, frankfort
- circle k 4706733, plainfield
- circle k 4706745, joliet
- circle k 4706749, romeoville
- circle k 4706751, steger
- circle k 4706792, monee
- circle k 4706798, bolingbrook
- circle k 4706821, shorewood
- circle k 4706825, plainfield
- circle k 4706832, lockport
- circle k 4706863, plainfield
- circle k 4706870, naperville
- circle k 6707, bolingbrook
- circle k 6826, romeoville
- circle k 6877, plainfield
- citgo fuel & mini mart, bolingbrook
- citgo gas and carwash, joliet
- crest hill grab & go, crest hill
- crete golo llc 105, crete
- delta-sonic, joliet
- diamond gas and wash, coal city
- diya patel inc., naperville
- dona concha bakery, joliet
- exotic minimart llc, joliet
- exxon fuel & food mart, joliet
- exxon fuel & food mart, joliet
- food n fuel route 6 and hollywood, joliet
- frankfort bp inc, frankfort
- fruitful yield joliet 1127, joliet
- gas n wash, mokena
- gas n wash 143rd street, homer glen
- gas n wash 159th & gougar road 159, homer glen
- gas n wash caton farm and ridge, plainfield
- gas n wash division and weber, crest hill
- gas n wash route 30, new lenox
- gas n wash route 6 and gougar, joliet
- gas n wash schoolhouse, new lenox
- gas n wash shorewood shorewood, shorewood
- gas n wash theodore and drauden 5951, plainfield
- graham c-stores co - joliet 203, plainfield
- graham c-stores co - romeoville 202, romeoville
- hometown pantry, bolingbrook
- i 80 mobile inc, joliet
- ins market, joliet
- jmj food and gas, joliet
- jefferson bp, joliet
- joliet circle k, joliet
- joliet citgo inc, joliet
- joliet mini mart, joliet
- joliet petroleum inc, joliet
- kal petro inc, joliet
- lambert marathon foodshop 1, joliet
- lenny's food n fuel rt 6, new lenox
- lenny's food n fuel vetter road, llc 2951, elwood
- lenny's gas n wash lagrange road, llc, mokena
- lenny's gas n wash plainfield, llc, plainfield
- lockport gas & food mart inc., lockport
- lockport mini mart, inc., lockport
- love's travel stop 425, wilmington
- love's travel stop 768, channahon
- lucky stop mini mart, inc, joliet
- lucky trip, llc, lemont
- marathon, bolingbrook
- meijer gas station 169, bolingbrook
- meijer gas station 214, plainfield
- meijer gas station 215, bolingbrook
- meijer gas station 219, homer glen
- meijer gas station 273, mokena
- mobil, rockdale
- mobil, joliet
- mobil, lockport
- mobil wilmington, wilmington
- mobil-bolingbrook food mart, bolingbrook
- mundo de dulces, joliet
- mundo de dulces, joliet
- murphy express 8795, joliet
- murphy express 8798, lockport
- murphy express 8845, romeoville
- murphy express 8870, naperville
- murphy usa 7608, new lenox
- murphy usa 7580, shorewood
- naperville gas and food, naperville
- old pueblo grocery, crest hill
- osho food mart, joliet
- pk's pantry, university park
- pasadena food & tobacco inc, bolingbrook
- peotone travel center, peotone
- petro stopping center 367, monee
- petro wilmington 402, wilmington
- pilot travel center 039, monee
- pilot travel center 1024, joliet
- pilot travel center 473, channahon
- pks pantry, steger
- plainfield citgo, plainfield
- quick mart pantry, lockport
- quick run, crete
- quik mart, lockport
- quiktrip 7196, romeoville
- quiktrip 7204, university park
- rc services inc, family bp, peotone
- rebel 868, romeoville
- rebel 869, new lenox
- rebel 874, bolingbrook
- rebel 875, bolingbrook
- republic marathon, joliet
- ridgeway petroleum, inc. 9, new lenox
- rim inc, joliet
- riverboat gas & food inc, joliet
- rt 66 food n fuel, joliet
- speedway 7572, university park
- speedway 7610, university park
- saint anne oil corporation, joliet
- samj, inc, shorewood
- shell of crest hill, crest hill
- snack stop, mokena
- speed trek, new lenox
Combination Grocery/Other · 91
- afro-caribbean mart, bolingbrook
- balaji grocery 2, naperville
- best rx & dme, joliet
- cvs 2936, joliet
- cvs 4977, new lenox
- cvs 7142, lockport
- cvs 7760, mokena
- cvs pharmacy 10537, beecher
- cvs pharmacy 10553, braidwood
- cvs pharmacy 10737, peotone
- cvs pharmacy 10761, wilmington
- cvs pharmacy 10889, new lenox
- cvs pharmacy 1170, joliet
- cvs pharmacy 5421, joliet
- cvs pharmacy 5822, mokena
- cvs pharmacy 7168, bolingbrook
- cvs pharmacy 921, shorewood
- dollar general 0144, braidwood
- dollar general 14242, lockport
- dollar general 7222, crest hill
- dollar tree 0689, bolingbrook
- dollar tree 3430, joliet
- dollar tree 4419, romeoville
- dollar tree 4464, joliet
- dollartree 10298, shorewood
- dollartree 10622, plainfield
- dollartree 8794, bolingbrook
- dollartree 9163, plainfield
- dollartree 9690, monee
- dollar general 10205, peotone
- dollar general 11508, joliet
- dollar general 13824, joliet
- dollar general 15075, beecher
- dollar general 15901, wilmington
- dollar general 15939, channahon
- dollar general 17085, elwood
- dollar general 17487, monee
- dollar general 20590, manhattan
- dollar general 20634, crete
- dollar general 20929, channahon
- dollar general 21246, joliet
- dollar general 23555, university park
- dollar general 23943, wilmington
- dollar general 24958, joliet
- dollar general 25755, bolingbrook
- dollar tree 0646, crest hill
- dollar tree 3668, lockport
- dollar tree 4226, bolingbrook
- dollar tree 4441, naperville
- dollar tree 6087, joliet
- dollar tree 6098, mokena
- dollar tree 7499, homer glen
- dollar tree 8533, frankfort
- dollartree 5858, frankfort
- family dollar 10368, university park
- family dollar 11380, braidwood
- family dollar 1442, joliet
- family dollar 1968, romeoville
- family dollar 6629, joliet
- family dollar 8166, joliet
- jofen oriental fresh market, bolingbrook
- manila grocery, plainfield
- southern spices, naperville
- walgreen 05386, joliet
- walgreen's #3929 03929, joliet
- walgreen's 2335, naperville
- walgreens 04154, mokena
- walgreens 04828, plainfield
- walgreens 06563, romeoville
- walgreens 10772, joliet
- walgreens 3780, naperville
- walgreens 3946, joliet
- walgreens 4032, new lenox
- walgreens 4948, bolingbrook
- walgreens 4949, frankfort
- walgreens 6180, new lenox
- walgreens 6567, plainfield
- walgreens 6703, lockport
- walgreens 7829, romeoville
- walgreens 04460, bolingbrook
- walgreens 05515, naperville
- walgreens 06508, naperville
- walgreens 07139, frankfort
- walgreens 07866, joliet
- walgreens 07895, channahon
- walgreens 09326, frankfort
- walgreens 09984, plainfield
- walgreens 10374, bolingbrook
- walgreens 10425, plainfield
- walgreens 10605, shorewood
- walgreens 11195, romeoville
Bakery Specialty · 1
- panaderia don lupe inc., bolingbrook
Showing 250 of 411 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Will County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Will County sits inside Illinois (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Will County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Will County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Will County? ▼
Is Will County a food desert? ▼
What share of Will County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.