County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Barron County, WI
Barron 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.
- 17.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.5%
- on SNAP
- 47K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.8% of Barron County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.0%
- 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).
Barron County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.8% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,152 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Barron County compares nationally
Barron County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.8% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,885).
Barron County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Barron County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Barron County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Barron
Barron County, WI
17.8 % low-access
- Adams 9.9
Adams County, WI
9.9 % low-access
- Ashland
Ashland County, WI
28.5 % low-access
- Bayfield
Bayfield County, WI
30.2 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, WI
25 % low-access
- Buffalo
Buffalo County, WI
23.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 45,870 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,152 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.8%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,752 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 46,797 |
| Median Household Income | $65,933 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,288 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.5%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 11.5% of Barron County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,288 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $65,933 with a 11.0% poverty rate.
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 Barron County
near the national share
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 8,152 residents, roughly 17.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,752 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Barron County
Barron County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (34% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 17
- barronett cenex 90078, barronett
- bushra fashion shop, barron
- chetek express, chetek
- cumberland cenex 90077, cumberland
- ginny's, cumberland
- kwik trip 426, rice lake
- kwik trip 476, rice lake
- kwik trip 602, chetek
- kwik trip 748, barron
- kwik trip 749, rice lake
- kwik trip 1115, turtle lake
- kwik trip 748, barron
- kwik trip 815, cumberland
- kwik trip 922, cameron
- synergy cooperative almena 90065, almena
- synergy cooperative barron 90060, barron
- synergy cooperative rice lake west 90055, rice lake
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs 10772, barron
- dollar general 10010, cumberland
- dollar general 10569, rice lake
- dollar general 11162, barron
- dollar tree 3817, rice lake
- dollar general 21714, cameron
- dollar general 23289, turtle lake
- family dollar 12789, cumberland
- family dollar 13618, chetek
- family dollar store 7295, turtle lake
- walgreens 11860, rice lake
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 72045, rice lake
- austads super valu, turtle lake
- kj's fresh market 354, barron
- louies finer meats, cumberland
- louies finer meats, cumberland
- nilssen's foods, cumberland
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 4
- almena meat company, inc, almena
- prime cuts meat market, rice lake
- ranch brand meat co, chetek
- the butcher shop, llc, rice lake
Small Grocery Store · 4
- island city food co-op inc, cumberland
- jim's dairy store, turtle lake
- los angeles mexican store, rice lake
- saras hometown market and deli llc, prairie farm
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- dukes discount grocery 1, rice lake
- glacier lakes foods, rice lake
- glacier lakes foods llc, cameron
Super Store · 3
- kj's fresh market 352, chetek
- marketplace foods 2580, rice lake
- walmart 1446, rice lake
Farmers' Market · 1
- country lane farmer's market, barron
Large Grocery Store · 1
- country lane market & pantry, barron
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Barron County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Barron County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Barron County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Barron County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Barron County? ▼
Is Barron County a food desert? ▼
What share of Barron 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.