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Cook County, Illinois β Food Access Score
Is Cook County, Illinois a food desert?
In 2019, 7.4% of Cook County, Illinois residents live beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, with 1.8% both low-income and low-access, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (US public domain). The Gera Food Access Score for Cook County is 93.9/100 (Excellent), ranking 419 of 3140 US counties.
GFAS component breakdown
7.4%
Low-access population
Weight: 60% Β· beyond 1mi/10mi
National: 22.2%
1.8%
Low-income + low-access
Weight: 40% Β· compound hardship
51
LILA census tracts
of 1314 total tracts
Cook County food access data (2019)
| Metric | Cook County (2019) | National comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) | 93.9/100 | National mean: 78.6/100 |
| Low-access population % | 7.4% | National: 22.2% |
| Low-income + low-access % | 1.8% | β |
| Low-income, low-access (LILA) tracts | 51 | β |
| Census tracts in county | 1314 | β |
| Total population (2010 Census) | 5,194,675 | β |
| National rank (GFAS) | 419 of 3140 | β |
Compare Cook County with other US counties
Filter all 3140 US counties by GFAS score or state to find counties with similar or better food access conditions.
Showing 20 of 3140 counties
| County | State | GFAS | Low-access % | Low-inc/access % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | Alabama | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Kusilvak Census Area | Alaska | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Gilpin County | Colorado | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Dade County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Evans County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Franklin County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Hart County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Marion County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pike County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Towns County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| White County | Georgia | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Harrison County | Indiana | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Ohio County | Indiana | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Union County | Indiana | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Grundy County | Iowa | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Ballard County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Carroll County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Elliott County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Gallatin County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Garrard County | Kentucky | 100/100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Cook County, Illinois a food desert?
- Using the USDA definition, Cook County has 51 LILA (Low-Income, Low-Access) census tracts β tracts where residents are both low-income AND beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Overall, 7.4% of the county population lives beyond those distances. Gera Food Access Score: 93.9/100 (Excellent).
- What percentage of Cook County residents are beyond a supermarket?
- In 2019, 7.4% of Cook County's population of 5,194,675 lives beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, based on USDA Food Access Research Atlas census tract data. The national average is 22.2%.
- What is the Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) for Cook County?
- Cook County's GFAS is 93.9/100 (Excellent), ranking 419 of 3140 US counties (rank 1 = best food access). The score combines low-access population share (60% weight) and low-income/low-access share (40% weight), each derived from USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 data, then normalised and inverted. Full methodology at https://geramarket.com/methodology/gera-food-access-score.
- How does Cook County compare to other counties in Illinois?
- Other counties in Illinois by GFAS: Putnam County (99.9/100), Cumberland County (99.3/100), Henderson County (98.8/100), Greene County (98.4/100), Moultrie County (97.9/100), Stephenson County (94.5/100). Cook County ranks 419 of 3140 nationally.
- What is the USDA Food Access Research Atlas?
- The USDA Food Access Research Atlas is published by the USDA Economic Research Service. It measures access to supermarkets at the census tract level across 72,531 tracts covering all US counties. The atlas identifies areas where access to healthy, affordable food is limited by distance β particularly for low-income residents without vehicles. The data is a US Government Work (public domain) and is freely available at https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/download-the-data/.
Contains public sector information published by USDA Economic Research Service and licensed under the US Government Work (Public Domain). Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) (2019, published April 2021).