Signature · 36 SNAP-authorized stores
Cass County, MI
Cass County lands in the lower national band on low-access (13.3%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 13.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.8%
- on SNAP
- 52K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cass County, MI
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 13.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -8.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Roscommon County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Cass County lands in the lower national band (13.3%, #2,250 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,250
- national by low-access %
- #53
- in MI
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 36 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Cass County compares nationally
Cass County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.3% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,255).
Cass County's lower-band USDA tier split
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Cass County has 2 urban and 9 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.
Cass County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % 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
- Bay 12.9
Bay 12.9%
12.9 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 52,293 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,971 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,689 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 51,520 |
| Median Household Income | $70,443 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,720 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Cass County
Cass County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 15
- dowagiac expo citgo, dowagiac
- dowagiac singh inc, dowagiac
- jones shell 1450, jones
- judge convenience, dowagiac
- k v express mart inc, union
- lightning quick gas n go 10, three rivers
- manor mini mart, dowagiac
- marcellus shell 1600, marcellus
- nv 66 enterprise inc, niles
- palvi, dowagiac
- rose empire inc, cassopolis
- speedway 6708, dowagiac
- stonelake enterprise, cassopolis
- us 12 liquer & gas, niles
- vandalia quick mart, vandalia
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- dollar general 19541, jones
- dollar general 7857, dowagiac
- dollar general 8609, cassopolis
- dollar general 17712, niles
- dollar general 20800, vandalia
- dollar general 20923, edwardsburg
- dollar general 24309, edwardsburg
- dollar general 7549, edwardsburg
- dollar general store 16706, union
- dollar general store 16836, dowagiac
- family dollar 13844, marcellus
- family dollar store 1173, cassopolis
- family dollar store 1959, dowagiac
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- dussels farm market, cassopolis
- mills grocery, union
- terrill's super market, marcellus
Large Grocery Store · 2
- hardings market 366, cassopolis
- la perla supermarket, inc., dowagiac
Supermarket · 2
- harding's friendly market 935, dowagiac
- save-a-lot 24996, dowagiac
Super Store · 1
- family fare supermarket 1975, dowagiac
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 Cass County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Cass County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Cass 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 (13.3% here).
- Mills County, IA · 13.3% low-access
- Mills County, IA · 13.3% low-access
- Huron County, OH · 13.3% low-access
- Huron County, OH · 13.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (12.8% here).
- Warren County, KY · 12.8% SNAP
- Warren County, KY · 12.8% SNAP
- Grayson County, KY · 12.8% SNAP
- Grayson County, KY · 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.
Cass County inside a lower low-access state context
Cass 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 Cass County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26027. 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.