County food-access profile · Michigan
Chippewa County, MI
Chippewa 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.
- 19.8%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 36K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.8% of Chippewa County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 6.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.0%
- 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).
Chippewa County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.8% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,633 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,135 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 Chippewa County compares nationally
Chippewa County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.8% low-access share that beats 46% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,699).
Chippewa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 12 census tracts in Chippewa County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Chippewa County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Chippewa
Chippewa County, MI
19.8 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger
Alger County, MI
12.8 % low-access
- Allegan
Allegan County, MI
20.8 % low-access
- Alpena
Alpena County, MI
15.9 % low-access
- Antrim 0.2
Antrim County, MI
0.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 38,520 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,633 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.8%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,135 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 36,295 |
| Median Household Income | $62,217 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,846 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 12.2% |
About 13.1% of Chippewa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,846 households here.
- 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Chippewa County
near the national share
3 of Chippewa County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 7,633 residents, roughly 19.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,135 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (58.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Chippewa County
Chippewa County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 16
- admiral 5796, sault sainte marie
- brake time, sault sainte marie
- circle k 2746174, sault sainte marie
- circle k 2746262, sault sainte marie
- harmony health foods, sault sainte marie
- kincheloe ez mart 628, kincheloe
- kinross ez mart 630, kinross
- krist food mart 035, sault sainte marie
- krist food mart 40, sault sainte marie
- meijer gas station 293, sault sainte marie
- midjim convenience store, sault sainte marie
- paradise recreational sports llc 1, paradise
- sunes grocery, drummond island
- the market on osborn, sault sainte marie
- trout lake iga 1, trout lake
- westshore conv. store, sault sainte marie
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 20642, kincheloe
- dollar general 24820, rudyard
- dollar general 25611, pickford
- dollar tree 2870, sault sainte marie
- family dollar 12069, brimley
- family dollar store 3761, sault sainte marie
- family dollar store 7161, kincheloe
- walgreens 10405, sault sainte marie
Large Grocery Store · 3
- neville's superette, sault sainte marie
- pickford coop, pickford
- rudyard cooperative company, rudyard
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- four season's market & deli, brimley
- sune's food center, iga, de tour village
Super Store · 2
- meijer 293, sault sainte marie
- walmart supercenter 1936, sault sainte marie
Supermarket · 2
- gordon food service store mp036, sault sainte marie
- pat's foods, sault sainte marie
Farmers' Market · 1
- bay mills farmer's market, brimley
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- kinross co-op, kincheloe
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- love meats, inc., rudyard
Small Grocery Store · 1
- paradise food pantry market, paradise
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Chippewa County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Chippewa County sits inside Michigan (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 Chippewa County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Chippewa County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Chippewa County? ▼
Is Chippewa County a food desert? ▼
What share of Chippewa 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.