County food-access profile · Illinois
Winnebago County, IL
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Winnebago 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).
- 26.4%
- low-access pop.
- 11
- food-desert tracts
- 20.4%
- on SNAP
- 283K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
26.4% of Winnebago County residents live in a low-access area, and 11 of its 77 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 30
- low-access tracts
- 21K
- food-desert residents
- 8.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.6%
- 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 Winnebago County's low-access share at 26.4%, above the national share. 30 of the county's 77 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 78,000 people. 11 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 21,479 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 Winnebago County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Winnebago County's 26.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,194 most-affected nationwide.
Winnebago County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 77 census tracts in Winnebago County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Winnebago County vs. other Illinois counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois
- Winnebago
Winnebago County, IL
26.4 % 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 | 77 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 295,266 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 30 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 11 |
| Low-Access Population | 78,000 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 21,479 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 283,292 |
| Median Household Income | $65,837 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 23,722 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 20.4%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 20.4% of Winnebago County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 26.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 20.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 23,722 households here.
- 8.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 11 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 Winnebago County
above the national share
11 of Winnebago County's 77 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.
A further 19 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 30.
An estimated 78,000 residents, roughly 26.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 21,479 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 47 tracts (61.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Winnebago County
Winnebago County has 270 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 139 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 139
- 11th street gas mart, rockford
- 815 convenient store, inc., rockford
- a & m market inc, rockford
- aaliya corporation, rockford
- alpine mart, loves park
- alpine mobil 39, rockford
- amoco mart, rockford
- applewood mobil 38, loves park
- auburn & day mobil, rockford
- bp food mart, rockford
- bp, rockford
- bp, loves park
- broadway mobil 09, rockford
- buckley mobil 4, rockford
- casey's 3760, loves park
- casey's 3829, rockford
- casey's general store 3927, rockford
- casey's 3861, rockford
- casey's general store 3083, rockton
- casey's general store 3536, roscoe
- casey's general store 3721, machesney park
- charles gas mart, rockford
- cherryvale mobil 10, rockford
- circle g llc, rockford
- circle k 4700041, rockford
- circle k 4701425, rockford
- circle k 4701426, loves park
- circle k 4701437, rockford
- circle k 4701474, rockford
- citgo n go, inc., rockford
- city center market, rockford
- city fuel inc., rockford
- clark on the go, loves park
- conoco, rockford
- corner food n more, rockford
- discount tobacco & pop, rockford
- durand shell, durand
- edgebrook mobil 32, rockford
- elmwood bp, rockford
- express lane gas & food mart 2, cherry valley
- express lane gas & food mart 37, rockford
- expresslane 34, rockford
- expresslane inc 81, loves park
- fas mart 5179, loves park
- fas mart 5199, rockford
- fas mart 5218, rockford
- fas mart 5220, loves park
- fas mart 5222, rockford
- fas mart 5224, roscoe
- fas mart 5231, machesney park
- fas mart 564, machesney park
- flying j 646, south beloit
- forest hills mobil 20, loves park
- gas depot west state, rockford
- gasland, rockford
- grand prix 5152, loves park
- green market, inc., rockford
- green point ventures,inc., rockford
- grocery & tobacco land, rockford
- gsb gas corp inc., south beloit
- harrison avenue mobil 29, rockford
- hometown food & liquor, south beloit
- hononegah mobil 19, roscoe
- jasmine pantry, rockford
- jefferson street kelleys market 1052, rockford
- jisa gas and food inc, rockford
- kapa gas, machesney park
- kiaan inc citgo, rockford
- kwik star 1276, south beloit
- lbs express mart inc, machesney park
- love's travel stop 322, roscoe
- love's travel stop 775, rockford
- loves park clark, loves park
- loves park liquor and wine, loves park
- loves park mobil 36, loves park
- loves park phillips 66, loves park
- lovespark citgo, loves park
- lyford road mobil 35, rockford
- m & m market, rockford
- many house of bottles 1, loves park
- marketside mobil 40, rockford
- max mart, rockford
- mega mart, rockford
- meijer gas station 192, rockford
- meijer gas station 281, machesney park
- mini mart food & more, inc., rockford
- neighborhood market, rockford
- new milford express inc, rockford
- north main convenient store inc, rockford
- north main mobil 22, rockford
- north second street mobil 46, machesney park
- noxxe petro, loves park
- one stop food mart inc, rockford
- orlando mobil 18, machesney park
- park it market, rockford
- perryville mobil 30, rockford
- pate gas mart, south beloit
- pecatonica mobil 42, pecatonica
- quick n save, loves park
- quick n save, south beloit
- quiktrip 4428, rockford
- quiktrip 7206, rockford
- rambo gas station inc, rockford
- riverside marketplace, rockford
- road ranger 203, rockford
- road ranger 205, south beloit
- road ranger 206, winnebago
- road ranger 211, loves park
- rockford food & liquor, rockford
- rockford mini mart inc, rockford
- rockton food and spirit, rockton
- rockton gas mart, rockford
- rockton mobil 37, rockton
- rockton phillips 66, rockton
- roscoe mobil 21, roscoe
- royal liquor mart, rockford
- rural 66, rockford
- sandy hollow mobil 80, rockford
- sandy phillips 66, rockford
- save food mart inc, rockford
- shell, rockford
- shell, rockford
- shell express fuel, rockford
- sky food & liquor, rockford
- south main foods, rockford
- south main mobil 45, rockford
- speedway 3962, roscoe
- springfield gas mart inc, rockford
- state street gas mart, rockford
- stop n shop, rockford
- thorntons llc 221331, roscoe
- tobacco xpress, rockford
- tollway mobil 5, loves park
- west side stop food mart, rockford
- win liquor inc, rockford
- windsor mini mart, loves park
- winnebago corners mobil 41, winnebago
- yuvi's citgo, rockford
- zake convenience, rockford
Combination Grocery/Other · 65
- buls african grocery, rockford
- cvs 8529, rockford
- cvs 8530, loves park
- cvs pharmacy 8524, roscoe
- cvs pharmacy 8528, machesney park
- cvs pharmacy 8531, rockford
- dollar general 14247, loves park
- dollar general 1563, rockford
- dollar general 1991, rockford
- dollar general 4222, rockford
- dollar general 4366, loves park
- dollar general 6121, south beloit
- dollar general 9011, roscoe
- dollar tree 1760, rockford
- dollar tree 2856, loves park
- dollartree 8563, rockford
- dollartree 9113, loves park
- dollartree 9546, rockford
- dollar general 12204, rockford
- dollar general 13827, rockford
- dollar general 21325, durand
- dollar general 21520, rockford
- dollar general 22834, new milford
- dollar general 23062, rockford
- dollar general 23318, winnebago
- dollar general 23938, pecatonica
- dollar general 25266, rockford
- dollar general 31541, rockford
- dollar tree 3261, rockford
- dollar tree 3751, rockford
- dollar tree 4960, rockford
- dollar tree 5690, rockton
- dollar tree 8284, machesney park
- family dollar 10940, loves park
- family dollar 12011, rockford
- family dollar store 1444, rockford
- family dollar store 1453, rockford
- family dollar store 1988, machesney park
- family dollar store 2669, rockford
- family dollar store 3065, rockford
- family dollar store 3366, rockford
- family dollar store 4871, south beloit
- family dollar store 6798, rockford
- family dollar store 6903, rockford
- family dollar store 7583, winnebago
- family dollar store 7721, rockford
- guanajuato supermercado, rockford
- penguin foods, rockford
- pit stop convenience & gaming, machesney park
- the corner store, rockford
- the great smart african food market #2, rockford
- valli produce of loves park, loves park
- walgreens 01515, loves park
- walgreens 02585, rockford
- walgreens 03283, rockford
- walgreens 04777, rockford
- walgreens 03322, rockford
- walgreens 06003, rockford
- walgreens 06004, rockford
- walgreens 07069, rockford
- walgreens 09127, rockford
- walgreens 12126, machesney park
- walgreens 12555, rockford
- walgreens 12583, loves park
- walgreens 6001, roscoe
Medium Grocery Store · 16
- african grocery store, rockford
- african international market, rockford
- amana food market, rockford
- blessed asian market llc, rockford
- carniceria y taqueria la mexicana llc 2, south beloit
- choices natural market, loves park
- dodi international food market, rockford
- halal fresh market, rockford
- meads longwood meat market, rockford
- mama africa market, rockford
- mecca market ii, rockford
- nobles grocery, rockford
- om shree ganesh inc, rockford
- prodavnica mjesovite robe, loves park
- rockford asian food market llc, rockford
- topway foods, pecatonica
Super Store · 13
- chiquita food market, inc., rockford
- costco wholesale 1353, loves park
- grays foods, rockford
- logli supermarket 750, rockford
- logli supermarkets 754, rockford
- meijer 192, rockford
- meijer 281, machesney park
- pinnon, rockford
- sam's club 8297, rockford
- schnucks 747, rockford
- schnucks 748, rockford
- schnucks 753, loves park
- schnucks 756, roscoe
Large Grocery Store · 6
- grace asian market, rockford
- main street meat company, roscoe
- mecca market, rockford
- rivera's fresh market, rockford
- siam asian market, rockford
- taveras gomez group, inc., rockford
Small Grocery Store · 6
- elotes express market inc, rockford
- las canelitas bakery, rockford
- northwest food inc., rockford
- rockford market, rockford
- sandy hollow food & liquor, rockford
- tt african market, rockford
Farmers' Market · 2
- rockford city market, rockford
- rockford midtown market, rockford
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- eickman's processing, seward
- prairie hill meats, south beloit
Seafood Specialty · 1
- jc's fish market, inc, rockford
Showing 250 of 270 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Illinois
Compare Winnebago County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →
Food access nationally, Illinois in context
Winnebago 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 Winnebago County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Winnebago County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Winnebago County? ▼
Is Winnebago County a food desert? ▼
What share of Winnebago 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.