Signature · 0.0% low-access (0th pct)
Arenac County, MI
Arenac County lands in the lower national band on low-access (0.0%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 0.0%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 16.1%
- on SNAP
- 15K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Arenac County, MI
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 0.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -22.1 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Barry County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Arenac County lands in the lower national band (0.0%); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 0
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 0.0% low-access (0th pct) (-22.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Arenac County compares nationally
Food access in Arenac County compares favorably nationally: its 0.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 0% of them (rank #3,133).
Arenac County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Arenac 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.
Arenac County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Ogemaw 0.1
Ogemaw 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
- Osceola 0.1
Osceola 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
- Barry 0
Barry 0%
0 % low-access
- Benzie 0
Benzie 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,899 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 0 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,077 |
| Median Household Income | $58,811 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,055 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Arenac County
Arenac County has 24 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 24 authorized stores; Standish holds 42% of them. 3 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Au Gres, Sterling, Omer.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Standish | 10 | 2 |
| Au Gres | 5 | none |
| Alger | 3 | 1 |
| Sterling | 3 | none |
| Omer | 2 | none |
| Twining | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 14
- deo volente 1 llc, au gres
- dore stores 16, alger
- dores store 14, standish
- dores store 19, omer
- forward shell-alger, alger
- forward shell-standish 110, standish
- forward shell-sterling 145, sterling
- mary'y kountry korner, sterling
- next door store 5073, standish
- pierside 23, au gres
- pine river store, llc, standish
- rpf oil company - standish 36, standish
- rpf oil company - standish sunoco 180, standish
- trading post standish, standish
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 9956, au gres
- dollar general 10703, standish
- dollar general 17011, sterling
- dollar general 20728, omer
- family dollar 13164, au gres
- sunrise market, au gres
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- narski's meat market n/a, alger
- twining food market, twining
Large Grocery Store · 1
- jay's fruit market nafmnp, standish
Super Store · 1
- family fare 1522, standish
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 Arenac County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Arenac County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Arenac County, both outside Michigan so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (0.0% here).
- Covington County, MS · 0.0% low-access
- Tishomingo County, MS · 0.0% low-access
- Spencer County, KY · 0.0% low-access
- Powell County, KY · 0.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (16.1% here).
- Alcorn County, MS · 16.1% SNAP
- Muhlenberg County, KY · 16.1% SNAP
- Gaston County, NC · 16.1% SNAP
- Comanche County, OK · 16.1% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Michigan among East North Central states
Michigan ranks 3rd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (23.2%). Arenac County, at 0.0%, runs 23.2 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 Arenac County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26011. 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.