GeraMarket / US Food Access / Palo Alto County
Palo Alto County, Iowa β Food Access Score
Is Palo Alto County, Iowa a food desert?
In 2019, 24.5% of Palo Alto County, Iowa residents live beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, with 7.1% both low-income and low-access, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (US public domain). The Gera Food Access Score for Palo Alto County is 79.1/100 (Good), ranking 1757 of 3140 US counties.
GFAS component breakdown
24.5%
Low-access population
Weight: 60% Β· beyond 1mi/10mi
National: 22.2%
7.1%
Low-income + low-access
Weight: 40% Β· compound hardship
0
LILA census tracts
of 4 total tracts
Palo Alto County food access data (2019)
| Metric | Palo Alto County (2019) | National comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) | 79.1/100 | National mean: 78.6/100 |
| Low-access population % | 24.5% | National: 22.2% |
| Low-income + low-access % | 7.1% | β |
| Low-income, low-access (LILA) tracts | 0 | β |
| Census tracts in county | 4 | β |
| Total population (2010 Census) | 9,421 | β |
| National rank (GFAS) | 1757 of 3140 | β |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Palo Alto County, Iowa a food desert?
- Using the USDA definition, Palo Alto County has no LILA tracts at the 1mi/10mi threshold. Overall, 24.5% of the county population lives beyond those distances. Gera Food Access Score: 79.1/100 (Good).
- What percentage of Palo Alto County residents are beyond a supermarket?
- In 2019, 24.5% of Palo Alto County's population of 9,421 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 Palo Alto County?
- Palo Alto County's GFAS is 79.1/100 (Good), ranking 1757 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 Palo Alto County compare to other counties in Iowa?
- Other counties in Iowa by GFAS: Grundy County (100/100), Louisa County (99/100), Ida County (98.9/100), Sioux County (98.7/100), Clayton County (97.7/100), Taylor County (96.5/100). Palo Alto County ranks 1757 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).