PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Chippewa County, WI

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Chippewa 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).

22.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
11.8%
on SNAP
67K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

22.0% of Chippewa County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
10.2%
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 Chippewa County's low-access share at 22.0%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,751 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,795 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

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Chippewa County's 22.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,527 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Chippewa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 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).

Food access tier distribution for Chippewa County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (54.5%) 4 tracts limited (36.4%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 55% Limited 36% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Chippewa County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Chippewa County vs. other Wisconsin counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin

% 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 Chippewa County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)62,415
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population13,751
Low-Access Share22.0%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,795

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Chippewa County
IndicatorValue
Population66,799
Median Household Income$74,680
Poverty Rate10.2%below the national average
SNAP Households3,203
SNAP Participation Rate11.8%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.3%
SNAP participation in Chippewa County 11.8%

About 11.8% of Chippewa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,203 households here.
  • 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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

above the national share

1 of Chippewa County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 13,751 residents, roughly 22.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,795 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (54.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Chippewa County

Chippewa County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • circle k 2746574, chippewa falls
  • circle k 2746653, chippewa falls
  • express mart, chippewa falls
  • express lane 9513, bloomer
  • jim falls cenex 26, jim falls
  • kwik trip 381, chippewa falls
  • kwik trip 427, bloomer
  • kwik trip 660, chippewa falls
  • kwik trip 1161, eau claire
  • kwik trip 1267, chippewa falls
  • kwik trip 1269, cadott
  • kwik trip 352, chippewa falls
  • kwik trip 939, stanley
  • pops 201, cadott
  • pops 205, chippewa falls
  • shadick's c-store, bloomer
  • tobacco outlet plus grocery 525, chippewa falls

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • dollar general 14053, lake wissota
  • dollar general 14377, cadott
  • dollar general 22014, new auburn
  • dollar general 22497, stanley
  • dollar general 24862, holcombe
  • dollar general 5871, bloomer
  • dollar tree 1294, chippewa falls
  • family dollar 13660, bloomer
  • family dollar store 4117, chippewa falls
  • family dollar store 6970, stanley
  • family dollar store 7449, cornell
  • jacobsons market, chippewa falls
  • shadicks price-rite foods, bloomer
  • walgreens 07966, chippewa falls

Super Store · 4

  • family fare 435, chippewa falls
  • festival foods 48, chippewa falls
  • hansen's iga - stanley 8, stanley
  • walmart 5373, chippewa falls

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • crescent meats, cadott
  • jne meats, chippewa falls
  • spring creek meats, jim falls

Farmers' Market · 2

  • cadott farmers market nafmnp, cadott
  • monday market at the y nafmnp, chippewa falls

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 72009 72009, chippewa falls
  • kj's fresh market 350, cornell

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's chippewa falls wi051, chippewa falls

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • sokup's meat market, chippewa falls

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • acr liquidations llc, chippewa falls

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Chippewa County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Chippewa County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Chippewa County has low food access? ▼
22.0% of residents in Chippewa County, WI 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 Chippewa County? ▼
11.8% of households in Chippewa County receive SNAP, covering 3,203 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Chippewa County? ▼
The poverty rate in Chippewa County, WI is 10.2%, with a median household income of $74,680 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Chippewa County a food desert? ▼
1 of Chippewa County's 11 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 Chippewa County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Chippewa 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.