Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Alger County, MI
Alger County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 12.8% low-access.
- 12.8%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 11.0%
- on SNAP
- 9K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Alger County, MI
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 12.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -9.3 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Bay County (+ 0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Alger County lands in the lower national band (12.8%, #2,282 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,282
- national by low-access %
- #58
- in MI
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 470
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Alger County compares nationally
Alger County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.8% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,282).
Alger County's lower-band USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 3 of Alger County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Alger County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Cass 13.3
Cass 13.3%
13.3 % low-access
- Gladwin 13.1
Gladwin 13.1%
13.1 % low-access
- Bay 12.9
Bay 12.9%
12.9 % low-access
- Iosco 12.9
Iosco 12.9%
12.9 % low-access
- Alger 12.8
Alger 12.8%
12.8 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 9,601 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,224 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 470 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,762 |
| Median Household Income | $61,286 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 388 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 11.7% |
SNAP retailers in Alger County
Alger County has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 12 authorized stores; Munising holds 50% of them. 5 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Grand Marais, Shingleton, Skandia, Trenary, Wetmore.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Munising | 6 | 1 |
| Chatham | 1 | 1 |
| Grand Marais | 1 | none |
| Shingleton | 1 | none |
| Skandia | 1 | none |
| Trenary | 1 | none |
| Wetmore | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 6
- circle k 2746155, munising
- circle k 2746416, wetmore
- kassel's rumely, skandia
- krist food mart 018, munising
- krist food mart 029, munising
- wright grocery, shingleton
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 20466, munising
- dollar general 22278, trenary
- family dollar store 2794, munising
Large Grocery Store · 1
- chatham co-operative company, chatham
Small Grocery Store · 1
- superior shores market, grand marais
Supermarket · 1
- pat's foods, munising
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Michigan
One of 82 counties in Michigan, 6 are shown here.
Compare Alger County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Michigan among East North Central states
Michigan ranks 3rd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (23.2%). Alger County, at 12.8%, runs 10.4 pts below the Michigan rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Alger County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26003. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.