Food Access
in Suburban
Cook County
Prepared by the Chicago State University
Neighborhood Assistance Center
March 2012
Daniel R. Block, Ph.D.
John Bisegerwa
Kristin Bowen
Brent Lowe
John Owens
Noah Sager
Fred Ssepuuya
Food Access
in Suburban
Cook County
Daniel R. Block, Ph.D. 1
John Bisegerwa 2
Kristin Bowen 2
Brent Lowe 2
John Owens 2
Noah Sager 2
Fred Ssepuuya 2
1 Director and Chief Writer
2 Cartography, Data Collection and Data Entry
March 2012
This report was prepared by the Fred Blum Neighborhood Assistance
Center at Chicago State University, directed by Dr. Daniel Block.
Dr. Block directed and wrote the assessment report and performed
much of the analysis. Noah Sager performed GIS analysis and created
most of the maps. Data collection, geocoding, and mapping were
performed by John Bisegerwa, Kristin Bowen, Brent Lowe, John
Owens, and Fred Ssepuuya.
Made possible through funding from the Department of Health and Human
Services: Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW). CPPW is a joint
project between the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Public
Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago.
Executive Summary
Introduction
Studies across the US have recently shown that certain areas, mainly with high percentages
of minorities and low income households, have poor access to stores that sell a variety
of healthy foodsi,ii,iii. These foods, including fruits and vegetables, are important for
maintaining health and preventing a wide variety of chronic diseases and conditions, such as
diabetes, cancers, and heart disease.
Since chronic diseases are a leading cause of illness and death in suburban Cook County,
the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) commissioned this assessment.
The purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of food access for residents and to identify
which communities may need support to increase food access.
Methodology
The assessment includes maps of a wide variety of stores that sell foods used to analyze
access to supermarkets and determine areas that have reduced access to healthy foods.
Specifically, the analysis of store access patterns involved mapping store locations followed
by summarization of the map patterns through geographic analysis and a comparison of
these patterns to demographic variables such as race and home ownership. Numerous
resources were used to identify locations of grocery stores, chain convenience stores, chain
drug stores, liquor stores, warehouse stores and supercenters, farmers’ markets, community
and school gardens, and farm stands. The analysis also included counts of store type by
municipality and region, calculating the distance to the nearest store for each Census
block group within a municipality. The distance index created uses population density and
demographic variables to calculate of the numbers and locations of people living in low
food access areas.
This assessment defines low food access as a U. S. Census block group that meets two
criteria:
1)Distance: the average distance for residents is at least one mile to the nearest
supermarket, supercenter or warehouse store (such as Jewel, Tony’s, Walmart, or
Costco), and
2)Income: the median household income is below Cook County’s median household income ($52,539 in 2009)
Findings
An estimated 351,024 people live in low food access areas in suburban Cook County,
accounting for about 14.5% of the population. The assessment also identified a number
of themes and characteristics within suburban Cook County that highlight differences in
access by region, by race and ethnicity, to different store types, and by community economic
characteristics.
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Differences in Access by Region
•
The south region has the least access. Overall, the south region of suburban Cook County has the fewest full service chain supermarkets per person, the highest concentration of discount chains as well as independent groceries, and the lowest concentration of specialty stores. In addition, several municipalities in the south have no full-service grocery stores at all, including Burnham, Ford Heights, Phoenix, Robbins, and Thornton.
•
The north region has the greatest access. Discount chains are much less concentrated in the northeast and northwest region than elsewhere. The concentration of all supermarkets (including chains and independents—not including discount) is highest in the northeast areas but otherwise is fairly similar across the area. What varies is the store type. Farmers’ markets, school and community gardens, and specialty chains are more concentrated in northeast Cook County.
•
Pockets of low food access exist throughout suburban Cook County. Rosemont, by the definition used, has low food access. This may seem surprising, but it is part of a larger low-access area surrounding O’ Hare airport that includes parts of Schiller Park, unincorporated Elk Grove Township, and Franklin Park. Isolated portions of north and northwest suburbs, in particular Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, and unincorporated Northfield Township, also have low food access areas.
•
Many people with low food access were found in higher populated communities, even though a smaller percentage of their overall population, in many cases, had low food access. These communities are located predominantly in the south suburbs.
• Harvey (17,395)
• Calumet City (15,925)
• Blue Island (14,537)
• Riverdale (14,007)
• Cicero (12,991)
Justice, Lansing, Schaumburg, Park Forest, and Schiller Park also each have 10,000 or more people living in low food access areas.
Differences in Access by Race and Ethnicity
Areas with higher percentages of African-Americans are further from most kinds of
supermarkets than other communities, in particular full-service and specialty chains.
However, African-American communities are generally closer to chain discount stores (Aldi
and Save-a-Lot).
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Communities with high percentages of Hispanic residents may be further from chain
supermarkets, but are generally closer than other communities to independent groceries,
corner stores, discount chains, fast food, liquor stores, and warehouse stores. However, they
are further from farmers’ markets.
Differences in Access to Different Store Types
In general, the location of farmers markets, specialty chains, and discount chains correlate
most closely with demographics, varying by income and race. Farmers markets and specialty
chains are closer to upper-income and white communities, while discount chain locations
are more associated with lower-income and non-white communities. However, chain
drug stores, liquor stores, and fast food restaurants are generally fairly evenly distributed
throughout the region.
Differences in Access by Economics and Population Density
Areas with high percentages of rental housing generally are closer to chain drug stores,
corner stores, independent and all groceries, fast food outlets, and liquor stores. The
somewhat isolated industrial communities of Hodgkins and McCook lack food access, but
have small populations. Surrounding communities, including Justice, Summit, and Lyons,
also have relatively high percents of the population with low access.
Conclusions
The goal of this assessment was to present patterns. It reveals differing levels of food access
between regions of suburban Cook County, and suggests that these patterns are related to
race, income, home ownership, and the industrial nature of a community. The assessment
finds that food access in many suburbs, particularly in southern Cook County, is low and
identifies pockets of low food access throughout the county. These results can be used to
focus efforts within specific municipalities, as appropriate.
Food access is influenced by issues such as race, industrial investment, community priorities,
and broader economic planning emphases. While this assessment classifies particular areas
as having low food access, other variables that moderate the impact of living further from
a full-service food store, such as road infrastructure, car ownership, public transportation
access, and resident travel patterns need to be considered.
References
i McKinnon RA, Reedy J, Morrissette MA, Lytle LA, Yaroch AL. Measures of the food environment: a compilation of the literature, 1990-2007. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2009; 36: S124-133.
ii Larson NI, Story MT, Nelson MC. Neighborhood environments: disparities in access to healthy foods in the U.S. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2009; 36: 74-81.
iii White M. Food access and obesity. Obesity Reviews. 2007; 8 (Suppl 1): 99-107.
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