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 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 #2,226).
Branch County's lower-band USDA tier split
12 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Branch County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (8 rural, 4 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 4 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Branch County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Iron 14
Iron 14%
14 % low-access
- Branch 13.6
Branch 13.6%
13.6 % low-access
- Cass 13.3
Cass 13.3%
13.3 % low-access
- Roscommon 13.3
Roscommon 13.3%
13.3 % low-access
- Gladwin 13.1
Gladwin 13.1%
13.1 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 45,248 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,158 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,891 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 45,300 |
| Median Household Income | $63,724 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,161 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.9% |
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 49 authorized stores; Coldwater holds 65% of them. 3 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Quincy, Montgomery, Sherwood.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Coldwater | 32 | 9 |
| Bronson | 6 | 1 |
| Union City | 5 | 1 |
| Quincy | 4 | none |
| Montgomery | 1 | none |
| Sherwood | 1 | none |
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).
- Nantucket County, MA · 13.6% low-access
- Sumner County, KS · 13.6% low-access
- Jasper County, IN · 13.6% low-access
- Lewis County, NY · 13.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (12.8% here).
- Warren County, KY · 12.8% SNAP
- Grayson County, KY · 12.8% SNAP
- Page County, IA · 12.8% SNAP
- Clinton County, IA · 12.8% 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%). Branch County, at 13.6%, runs 9.6 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 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.