PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Columbia County, WI

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

20.7%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
8.9%
on SNAP
58K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

20.7% of Columbia County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
7.8%
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 Columbia County's low-access share at 20.7%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,783 people. 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 Columbia County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Columbia County's 20.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,634 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Columbia County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Columbia 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 Columbia County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (75.0%) 3 tracts limited (25.0%) Adequate 75% Limited 25% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Columbia County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Columbia 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 Columbia County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)56,833
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population11,783
Low-Access Share20.7%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,660

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Columbia County
IndicatorValue
Population58,272
Median Household Income$85,351
Poverty Rate7.8%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,162
SNAP Participation Rate8.9%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.8%
SNAP participation in Columbia County 8.9%

About 8.9% of Columbia County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,162 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $85,351 with a 7.8% 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 Columbia County

above the national share

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 11,783 residents, roughly 20.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,660 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Columbia County

Columbia County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • columbus market, columbus
  • fort bp, portage
  • harmony grove petroleum, llc, lodi
  • jim's bp, portage
  • kwik trip 314, pardeeville
  • kwik trip 635, lodi
  • kwik trip 653, portage
  • kwik trip 683, portage
  • kwik trip 764, portage
  • kwik trip 808, columbus
  • kwik trip 1118, wisconsin dells
  • liberty station-portage, portage
  • lodi kwik mart, lodi
  • love's travel stop 637, poynette
  • market basket, portage
  • northpoint plaza, poynette
  • pardeevill e one stop 4, pardeeville
  • portage mobil, portage
  • portage one stop, portage
  • refuel pantry- cascade, portage
  • refuel pantry- columbus west, columbus
  • refuel pantry- dells, wisconsin dells
  • refuel pantry-fall river station, fall river

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar general 10422, columbus
  • dollar general 10602, pardeeville
  • dollartree 9485, columbus
  • dollar general 22586, portage
  • dollar general 23915, wisconsin dells
  • dollar general 30657, wyocena
  • dollar general store 13348, lodi
  • dollar tree 1035, portage
  • dollar tree 4649, wisconsin dells
  • family dollar 11141, poynette
  • lodi sausage company, lodi
  • walgreens 07732, portage
  • walgreens 10396, columbus

Super Store · 8

  • festival foods 38, portage
  • maurer's market, wisconsin dells
  • pick 'n save 6392, columbus
  • piggly wiggly #107, pardeeville
  • piggly wiggly #294, poynette
  • piggly wiggly supermarket 291, lodi
  • walmart 1799, portage
  • walmart supercenter 3505, wisconsin dells

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys wi052, portage

Farmers' Market · 1

  • summers family market nafmnp, fall river

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • b & b bent and dent groceries, arlington

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 64039, portage

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 Columbia County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Columbia 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 Columbia County has low food access? ▼
20.7% of residents in Columbia 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 Columbia County? ▼
8.9% of households in Columbia County receive SNAP, covering 2,162 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Columbia County? ▼
The poverty rate in Columbia County, WI is 7.8%, with a median household income of $85,351 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Columbia County a food desert? ▼
0 of Columbia County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Columbia County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Columbia 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.