County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Brown County, WI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Brown County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 25.0%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 10.5%
- on SNAP
- 271K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.0% of Brown County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 54 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 23
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 5.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.1%
- 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).
USDA data puts Brown County's low-access share at 25.0%, above the national share. 23 of the county's 54 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 61,899 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,193 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 Brown County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Brown County's 25.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,296 most-affected nationwide.
Brown County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 54 census tracts in Brown County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Brown County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Brown
Brown County, WI
25 % low-access
- Adams 9.9
Adams County, WI
9.9 % low-access
- Ashland
Ashland County, WI
28.5 % low-access
- Barron
Barron County, WI
17.8 % low-access
- Bayfield
Bayfield County, WI
30.2 % low-access
- Buffalo
Buffalo County, WI
23.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 54 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 248,007 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 23 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 61,899 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.0%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,193 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 270,892 |
| Median Household Income | $79,649 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 11,597 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
About 10.5% of Brown County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 11,597 households here.
- 5.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Brown County
above the national share
4 of Brown County's 54 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.4% of all its tracts.
A further 19 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 23.
An estimated 61,899 residents, roughly 25.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,193 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 31 tracts (57.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Brown County
Brown County has 192 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 96 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 96
- 2746510.0 510, ledgeview
- 57 bp, green bay
- aaravis mini mart, green bay
- airport 810, green bay
- badimaalika llc, green bay
- bayport shell, green bay
- bellevue crossing 817, green bay
- bellevue east (allouez) 816, green bay
- bridgeport shell, wrightstown
- broadway bp 1, de pere
- c&d 820, green bay
- circle k 2746525, green bay
- de pere 811, de pere
- de pere mini mart, de pere
- denmark discount mart, denmark
- dino stop ceder hedge 7850, green bay
- dino stop green bay 7846, green bay
- dino stop new franken 7848, new franken
- downtown bp, green bay
- el manjar bakery 1, green bay
- el ranchito, green bay
- everest mart inc, green bay
- express pantry, green bay
- fairground bp 1, de pere
- gcs landing 814, de pere
- gcs stadium shell, green bay
- grand central east 818, green bay
- green bay petro, green bay
- greenleaf bp, greenleaf
- holiday stationstore 518, ashwaubenon
- howard central bp, green bay
- jaguar shell, green bay
- kwik trip 420, green bay
- kwik trip 700, green bay
- khaptad minimart, green bay
- krist food mart 087, green bay
- krist food mart 90, green bay
- krist food mart 92, de pere
- kwik trip 1015, denmark
- kwik trip 1030, green bay
- kwik trip 105, de pere
- kwik trip 1051, green bay
- kwik trip 1060, de pere
- kwik trip 114, ashwaubenon
- kwik trip 115, green bay
- kwik trip 125, ashwaubenon
- kwik trip 127, de pere
- kwik trip 1270, green bay
- kwik trip 143, green bay
- kwik trip 1732, green bay
- kwik trip 1920, suamico
- kwik trip 292, green bay
- kwik trip 365, green bay
- kwik trip 416, de pere
- kwik trip 430, ashwaubenon
- kwik trip 594, de pere
- kwik trip 725, green bay
- kwik trip 827, green bay
- kwik trip 946, pulaski
- la guanajuato grocery store, green bay
- ledgeview 815, de pere
- lineville 821, green bay
- little generals gas plus, green bay
- main st mobil, green bay
- main street bp, green bay
- maplewood shell, green bay
- marathon, green bay
- military bp, green bay
- military cenex, green bay
- military marathon, green bay
- morway bp, greenleaf
- neo discount tobacco and liquors 3, green bay
- new franken mini mart, new franken
- oneida, green bay
- oneida casino travel center 2024, pulaski
- oneida four paths shell st2027, green bay
- oneida one stop - larsen st2026, green bay
- oneida one stop - packerland 2025, green bay
- oneida one stop e & ee 2022, de pere
- riverside 813, de pere
- rsl petroleum llc, de pere
- scheuring 812, de pere
- seventy 9, green bay
- shell downtown, green bay
- stoneridge 829, green bay
- stop-n-go 543, green bay
- t's white tees outlet and more, green bay
- trailside bp, pulaski
- true north 880, green bay
- u pump, green bay
- university 819, green bay
- university shell 2, green bay
- verde express, green bay
- walnut marathon, green bay
- waube mart, green bay
- wrightstop bp, wrightstown
Combination Grocery/Other · 40
- asian taste supermarket, green bay
- cvs 2237, green bay
- cvs pharmacy 2214, de pere
- cvs pharmacy 8535, green bay
- cvs pharmacy 8541, green bay
- cvs pharmacy 8542, green bay
- dollar general 6563, green bay
- dollar tree 0964, green bay
- dollartree 10347, green bay
- dollartree 10755, de pere
- dollartree 8824, ashwaubenon
- dollartree 9175, green bay
- dollar general 20873, wrightstown
- dollar general 21045, green bay
- dollar general 22696, pulaski
- dollar tree 1046, green bay
- dollar tree 3460, green bay
- dollar tree 5026, howard
- dollar tree 5159, de pere
- dollar tree 7987, de pere
- dollar tree 8407, green bay
- family dollar 11687, denmark
- family dollar 8518, green bay
- family dollar 8813, green bay
- family dollar store 1604, green bay
- family dollar store 4158, green bay
- family dollar store 6961, green bay
- main oriental market llc, green bay
- midwest grocery and market inc., green bay
- walgreens #6569 06569, green bay
- walgreens 03088, green bay
- walgreens 03115, green bay
- walgreens 03133, ashwaubenon
- walgreens 03253, green bay
- walgreens 5746, green bay
- webster avenue market, green bay
- walgreens 10235, de pere
- walgreens 11339, green bay
- walgreens 11576, bellevue
- walgreens 15637, de pere
Super Store · 22
- costco wholesale 1162, green bay
- festival foods 19, green bay
- festival foods 34, green bay
- festival foods 5, de pere
- festival foods 6, green bay
- festival foods 8, green bay
- fresh thyme market 707abn, ashwaubenon
- hy-vee 1025, green bay
- meijer 298, green bay
- pick 'n save 8107, green bay
- pick 'n save 8111, bellevue
- pick 'n save 8186, green bay
- pigly wiggly supermarket 383, de pere
- sam's club 8149, green bay
- super ron's food center, pulaski
- target store 1247, green bay
- target store 1483, green bay
- university avenue market, green bay
- walmart 1453, green bay
- walmart 1908, green bay
- walmart 5090, de pere
- woodman's food market 29, green bay
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 64030, green bay
- aldi 64032, green bay
- aldi 64053, depere
- aldi 64054, ashwaubenon
- aldi 64057, green bay
- aldi 64172, bellevue
- dicks family foods, wrightstown
- piggly wiggly 36, green bay
- save a lot 45097, green bay
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- mi tierra 2 food market, green bay
- main street market 01, denmark
- sisters asian market, green bay
- super mercado el local university 2, green bay
- supermercado el local mason 1, green bay
- xiong oriental market, green bay
Bakery Specialty · 5
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza wi010, green bay
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza wi060, de pere
- papa murphys take n bake pizza wi032, de pere
- papa murphys take n bake pizza wi035, green bay
- papa murphys take n bake pizza wi077, green bay
Farmers' Market · 4
- downtown green bay saturday farmers market, green bay
- military avenue, inc. market on military, green bay
- on broadway, inc., green bay
- oneida farmers market, oneida
Small Grocery Store · 4
- amba india bazaar, green bay
- bibi african palace, green bay
- la guadalupana 2, green bay
- lee oriental market, green bay
Large Grocery Store · 3
- el tapatio bakery, green bay
- la espiga grocery, green bay
- mason brother's red owl, green bay
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- lexi's butchery, luxemburg
- maplewood packing inc, green bay
Seafood Specialty · 1
- bearcats fish house - green bay, green bay
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Brown County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Brown County sits inside Wisconsin (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Brown County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Brown County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Brown County? ▼
Is Brown County a food desert? ▼
What share of Brown County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.