County food-access profile · Michigan
Alpena County, MI
Alpena County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 15.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 16.7%
- on SNAP
- 29K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.9% of Alpena County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 8.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.0%
- 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).
Alpena County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.9% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,708 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,806 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 Alpena County compares nationally
Alpena County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.9% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,046).
Alpena County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Alpena County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Alpena County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Alpena
Alpena County, MI
15.9 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger
Alger County, MI
12.8 % low-access
- Allegan
Allegan County, MI
20.8 % low-access
- Antrim 0.2
Antrim County, MI
0.2 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac County, MI
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 29,598 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,708 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,806 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,880 |
| Median Household Income | $53,950 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,178 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.0%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 16.7% of Alpena County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,178 households here.
- 8.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Alpena County
near the national share
1 of Alpena County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 4,708 residents, roughly 15.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,806 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Alpena County
Alpena County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- admiral 5866, alpena
- admiral 5867, alpena
- alpena shell 226, alpena
- bob a lu market & hardware, herron
- diamond point ez mart 390, alpena
- forward alpena u133, alpena
- hubbard lake ez mart 588, hubbard lake
- long rapids ez mart 646, alpena
- mid-pointe convenience, alpena
- meijer gas station 282, alpena
- northland market, lachine
- opechee, alpena
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 19770, lachine
- dollar general 16998, alpena
- dollar general 16999, alpena
- dollar tree 2803, alpena
- family dollar store 10550, ossineke
- kipfmiller produce & nursery inc, alpena
- walgreens 09148, alpena
Super Store · 3
- meijer 282, alpena
- perch's food store, alpena
- walmart supercenter 2358, alpena
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 67110, alpena
- gordon food service store mp071, alpena
- save a lot 23914, alpena
Farmers' Market · 2
- alpena farmers market, alpena
- sunrise side co-op market, alpena
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- marine market inc, alpena
- nowicki's, alpena
Small Grocery Store · 1
- hubbard lake general store, hubbard lake
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Alpena County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Alpena County sits inside Michigan (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 Alpena County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Alpena County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Alpena County? ▼
Is Alpena County a food desert? ▼
What share of Alpena 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.