County food-access profile · Michigan
Clare County, MI
Most of Clare County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 2.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 19.0%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
2.7% of Clare County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 410
- food-desert residents
- 7.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 21.6%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Clare County fares better than most: just 2.7% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 843 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 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: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Clare County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Clare County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Clare 2.7
Clare County, MI
2.7 % 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 | 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 19.0% of Clare County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 2.7% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,380 households here.
- 7.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $49,384 with a 21.6% poverty rate.
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 Clare County
below the national share
An estimated 843 residents, roughly 2.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 410 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
None of Clare County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Clare County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Clare 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 Clare County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Clare County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Clare County? ▼
Is Clare County a food desert? ▼
What share of Clare 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.