PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Branch County, MI

Branch 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.

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

The food-access picture

13.6% of Branch County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.7%
households, no vehicle
16.4%
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).

Branch County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.6% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,158 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,891 low-income residents.

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 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: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Branch 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 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

Branch 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 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%
SNAP participation in Branch County 12.8%

About 12.8% of Branch County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,161 households here.
  • 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

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 Branch County

near the national share

2 of Branch County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,158 residents, roughly 13.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,891 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 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 Branch County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Branch 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 Branch County has low food access? ▼
13.6% of residents in Branch 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 Branch County? ▼
12.8% of households in Branch County receive SNAP, covering 2,161 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Branch County? ▼
The poverty rate in Branch County, MI is 16.4%, with a median household income of $63,724 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Branch County a food desert? ▼
2 of Branch County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Branch County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.7% of households in Branch 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.