PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Barry County, MI

Most of Barry County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

0.0%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
9.4%
on SNAP
63K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

0.0% of Barry County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

0
low-access tracts
4
food-desert residents
3.4%
households, no vehicle
8.4%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Barry County fares better than most: just 0.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 19 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Barry County compares nationally

Food access in Barry 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).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Barry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Barry County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Barry County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 11 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 11 tracts adequate (100.0%) Adequate 100% Limited 0% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Barry County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Barry County vs. other Michigan counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Barry County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)59,173
Low-Access Tracts0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population19
Low-Access Share0.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Barry County
IndicatorValue
Population63,409
Median Household Income$77,500
Poverty Rate8.4%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,296
SNAP Participation Rate9.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.6%
SNAP participation in Barry County 9.4%

About 9.4% of Barry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 0.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,296 households here.
  • 3.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $77,500 with a 8.4% 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 Barry County

below the national share

An estimated 19 residents, roughly 0.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 11 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

None of Barry County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.

SNAP retailers in Barry County

Barry County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • admiral 5897, hastings
  • cloverdale station, delton
  • delton shell 4120, delton
  • delton sunoco, delton
  • express stop 4677, shelbyville
  • family fare express 772, hastings
  • goldworthy's inc, dowling
  • goldworthy's inc, hickory corners
  • gun lake 415, wayland
  • hastings shell 4320, hastings
  • j&h family stores middleville 158, middleville
  • marathon 1, hastings
  • middleville shell 4580, middleville
  • nashville shell 4700, nashville
  • rj gas and food, shelbyville
  • speedway 3568, middleville
  • speedway 3589, lake odessa
  • the snack shack, middleville
  • the superette, hastings
  • thornapple lake trading post, hastings
  • woodland express mart 81, woodland
  • yankee springs 425, middleville
  • one stop shop 1, hastings

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 18266, wayland
  • dollar general 18880, hastings
  • dollar general 6471, delton
  • dollar general 19442, hastings
  • dollar general 6771, middleville
  • dollar general 8641, nashville
  • dollar tree 879, hastings
  • family dollar 13385, nashville
  • family dollar 13843, delton
  • family dollar store 1311, hastings
  • walgreens 15535, hastings

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • carls of nashville, nashville
  • tom's market, hastings
  • tom's on gun lake 2, middleville

Super Store · 3

  • family fare 1990, hastings
  • harding's market 455, middleville
  • walmart 2620, hastings

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 67038, hastings
  • family fare 1973, delton

Farmers' Market · 1

  • hastings farmers market, hastings

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • anne's health foods, hastings

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Michigan

Alcona County
15.6% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Alger County
12.8% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Allegan County
20.8% low-access · 7.8% SNAP
Alpena County
15.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Antrim County
0.2% low-access · 10.0% SNAP
Arenac County
0.0% low-access · 16.1% SNAP

Compare Barry County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Barry County sits inside Michigan (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Barry County has low food access? ▼
0.0% of residents in Barry County, MI live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Barry County? ▼
9.4% of households in Barry County receive SNAP, covering 2,296 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Barry County? ▼
The poverty rate in Barry County, MI is 8.4%, with a median household income of $77,500 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Barry County a food desert? ▼
0 of Barry County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Barry County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.4% of households in Barry County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.