Signature · 49 SNAP-authorized stores

Branch County, MI

Branch County lands in the lower national band on low-access (13.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

13.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
12.8%
on SNAP
45K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

USDA FARA access plate

County Branch County, MI

LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-MODERATE 13.6% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -8.5 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-TYPICAL 12.8% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.7% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Cass County ( -0.3 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Branch County lands in the lower national band (13.6%, #2,226 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,226
national by low-access %
#52
in MI
3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 49 SNAP-authorized stores .

How Branch County compares nationally

Branch County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.6% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,234).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Branch County's lower-band USDA tier split

12 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Branch County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (75.0%) 1 tracts limited (8.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 75% Limited 8% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Branch County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Branch County has 4 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Branch County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint

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

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Branch County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,248
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,158
Low-Access Share13.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,891

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Branch County
IndicatorValue
Population45,300
Median Household Income$63,724
Poverty Rate16.4%above the national average
SNAP Households2,161
SNAP Participation Rate12.8%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%

Thick SNAP store book in Branch County

Branch County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • 99 cents plus convenience, coldwater
  • bronson marathon, bronson
  • bronson spee-d-mart 1050, bronson
  • coldwater ps mart 1013, coldwater
  • coldwater shell 1120, coldwater
  • coldwater west 1125, coldwater
  • eddies stop n go, quincy
  • girard country store, coldwater
  • lightning quick gas n go 8, quincy
  • lucky discount liquor, coldwater
  • mangat kwikstop llc, coldwater
  • meijer gas station 179, coldwater
  • ps food mart 3023, coldwater
  • ps food mart 3024 3024, quincy
  • ps food mart 3028, coldwater
  • sherwood general store, sherwood
  • speedway 6152, coldwater
  • speedway 7097, coldwater
  • the in between, coldwater
  • union city bp, union city

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs 8126, coldwater
  • coldwater world mart, coldwater
  • countryside quality meats, union city
  • dollar general 10498, bronson
  • dollar general 7586, coldwater
  • dollar general 10508, quincy
  • dollar general 20348, union city
  • dollar general 23013, coldwater
  • dollar general 24357, coldwater
  • dollar general 25079, montgomery
  • dollar general 25748, bronson
  • dollar tree 1178, coldwater
  • family dollar store 1461, coldwater
  • family dollar store 7140, union city
  • walgreens 06092, coldwater

Medium Grocery Store · 6

  • alodi market 0, coldwater
  • coldwater fresh market, coldwater
  • jalisco's grocery, coldwater
  • middle east shop, coldwater
  • royal market & grocery llc, coldwater
  • taiz store, coldwater

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • discount foods of bronson, bronson
  • jack's family grocery, union city

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • la calentana, bronson
  • sheldy focus market, coldwater

Super Store · 2

  • meijer inc 179, coldwater
  • walmart 1593, coldwater

Farmers' Market · 1

  • the corner farmers market, coldwater

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 67086 67086, coldwater

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 Branch County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Counties near Branch County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Branch 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 (13.6% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (12.8% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Branch County inside a lower low-access state context

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

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

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 Branch County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26023. 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.