Signature · 0.0% low-access (0th pct)
Benzie County, MI
Benzie 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
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Benzie County, MI
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 0.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -22.1 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Arenac County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Benzie 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 Benzie County compares nationally
Food access in Benzie 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).
Benzie County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Benzie 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.
Benzie 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
- Benzie 0
Benzie 0%
0 % low-access
- Barry 0
Barry 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,525 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 0 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 0 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,310 |
| Median Household Income | $74,834 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 605 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
SNAP retailers in Benzie County
Benzie County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (37% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 19 authorized stores; Benzonia holds 32% of them. 4 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Honor, Interlochen, Thompsonville, Elberta.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Benzonia | 6 | 2 |
| Frankfort | 3 | 1 |
| Honor | 3 | none |
| Beulah | 2 | 1 |
| Interlochen | 2 | none |
| Thompsonville | 2 | none |
| Elberta | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 7
- archer country store, thompsonville
- beulah ez mart 264, beulah
- cherryland grocery, interlochen
- frankfort 262, frankfort
- timberline 263, benzonia
- true north energy 261, honor
- wesco 24, benzonia
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 24162, thompsonville
- dollar general 25359, interlochen
- dollar general store 16404, frankfort
- family dollar store 4454, honor
- family dollar store 6647, benzonia
- honor family market, honor
Farmers' Market · 2
- elberta community farmers market, elberta
- grow benzie community market, benzonia
Supermarket · 2
- family fare 643, frankfort
- save a lot 24706, benzonia
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- market basket inc, beulah
Super Store · 1
- family fare 1897, benzonia
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 Benzie County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Benzie County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Benzie 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 (7.8% here).
- McLeod County, MN · 7.8% SNAP
- Clinton County, MO · 7.8% SNAP
- DeKalb County, MO · 7.8% SNAP
- Howard County, MO · 7.8% 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%). Benzie 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 Benzie County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26019. 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.