Signature · 19.0% SNAP (95th pct in MI)
Clare County, MI
Clare County stands out on SNAP (19.0%, +6.9 pts vs U.S.) with 2.7% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 2.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 19.0%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Clare County, MI
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 2.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -19.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 19.0% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Montcalm County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Clare County lands in the lower national band (2.7%, #2,929 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,929
- national by low-access %
- #73
- in MI
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 410
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 19.0% SNAP (95th pct in MI) (+6.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Clare County compares nationally
Food access in Clare County compares favorably nationally: its 2.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 6% of them (rank #2,933).
Clare County's lower-band USDA tier split
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Clare County has 1 urban and 10 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.
Clare County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Montmorency 3.9
Montmorency 3.9%
3.9 % low-access
- Clare 2.7
Clare 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
- Montcalm 2.5
Montcalm 2.5%
2.5 % low-access
- Oscoda 1.6
Oscoda 1.6%
1.6 % low-access
- Charlevoix 1.4
Charlevoix 1.4%
1.4 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 30,926 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 843 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 410 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,218 |
| Median Household Income | $49,384 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.6%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,380 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.0%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.8%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in Clare County
Clare County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 29
- beacon & bridge market 25, clare
- beacon & bridge market 3, farwell
- chappy's, harrison
- clare ez mart 345, clare
- clare shop n go, clare
- crossroads of elm grove, clare
- family fare express 543, harrison
- harrison ez mart- first st 530, harrison
- harrison shop n go 1, harrison
- hunter's paradise, gladwin
- j&h family stores - clare 167, clare
- k&s bobs party store llc, harrison
- kc's lake thirteen party store inc, farwell
- kerns grocery, harrison
- leota pit stop, harrison
- liquor hub, harrison
- next door food store 5011, clare
- next door food store 5012, farwell
- next door store 5072, clare
- one stop mart, lake
- party doc, harrison
- red's oakridge party store, farwell
- sunrise stores llc 16, harrison
- sunrise stores llc 17, harrison
- sunrise stores llc 19, harrison
- speedway 8726, clare
- temple party store, harrison
- the depot, lake george
- z's gas n go, clare
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- dollar general 10092, clare
- dollar general 10268, farwell
- dollar general 19545, harrison
- dollar general 15850, lake george
- dollar general 15956, lake
- dollar general 20200, clare
- dollar general 20836, harrison
- dollar general 21940, farwell
- dollar general 25460, harrison
- dollar general 9520, harrison
- family dollar 5051, harrison
- family dollar store 3491, clare
- walgreen's 11887, clare
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 67044, clare
- save a lot 24715, harrison
- save a lot 45151, clare
- steves country market, harrison
Super Store · 3
- carrow super market inc 133, farwell
- family fare 1523, harrison
- witbecks family foods, clare
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- l & w discount, farwell
- walravens country gardens llc, harrison
Small Grocery Store · 2
- lake general store inc, lake
- trackside meat market, clare
Farmers' Market · 1
- village of farwell farmers market, farwell
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 Clare County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Clare County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Clare County (19.0%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Michigan.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (2.7% here).
- Fillmore County, MN · 2.7% low-access
- Fillmore County, MN · 2.7% low-access
- Ravalli County, MT · 2.7% low-access
- Ravalli County, MT · 2.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (19.0% here).
- Passaic County, NJ · 19.0% SNAP
- Passaic County, NJ · 19.0% SNAP
- Perry County, IL · 19.0% SNAP
- Perry County, IL · 19.0% 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.
Clare County inside a lower low-access state context
Clare 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 Clare County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26035. 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.