PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Crawford County, WI

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

23.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
10.9%
on SNAP
16K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

23.9% of Crawford County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.0%
households, no vehicle
13.8%
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 Crawford County's low-access share at 23.9%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 3,977 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,400 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 Crawford County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Crawford County's 23.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,375 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Crawford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Crawford 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 Crawford County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 1 tracts limited (16.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 67% Limited 17% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Crawford County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Crawford 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 Crawford County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)16,644
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,977
Low-Access Share23.9%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,400

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Crawford County
IndicatorValue
Population16,042
Median Household Income$64,094
Poverty Rate13.8%near the national average
SNAP Households728
SNAP Participation Rate10.9%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.2%
SNAP participation in Crawford County 10.9%

About 10.9% of Crawford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 728 households here.
  • 6.0% 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 Crawford County

above the national share

1 of Crawford County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 3,977 residents, roughly 23.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,400 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Crawford County

Crawford County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (35% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 8

  • casey's 3806, prairie du chien
  • campbells one stop, soldiers grove
  • casey's 3295, prairie du chien
  • ferryville cheese llc, ferryville
  • kwik trip 842, prairie du chien
  • kwik trip 307, prairie du chien
  • prairie du chien truck stop, prairie du chien
  • wauzeka mart, wauzeka

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • dollar general 10109, prairie du chien
  • dollar tree 3569, prairie du chien
  • dollar general 22801, gays mills
  • walgreens 10682, prairie du chien

Farmers' Market · 2

  • ferryville farmers market - market in the park, ferryville
  • prairie du chien thursday night farmers market, prairie du chien

Super Store · 2

  • piggly wiggly supermarket 308, prairie du chien
  • walmart supercenter 882, prairie duchien

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 64079, prairie du chien
  • the marketplace 52, gays mills

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys wi057, prairie du chien

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • kickapoo exchange natural foods, gays mills

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • johnson's one stop shopping service, seneca

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • solar meats, llc, soldiers grove

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • mississippi meats, prairie du chien

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 Crawford County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Crawford 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 Crawford County has low food access? ▼
23.9% of residents in Crawford 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 Crawford County? ▼
10.9% of households in Crawford County receive SNAP, covering 728 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Crawford County? ▼
The poverty rate in Crawford County, WI is 13.8%, with a median household income of $64,094 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Crawford County a food desert? ▼
1 of Crawford County's 6 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 Crawford County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.0% of households in Crawford 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.