PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Eau Claire County, WI

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

32.0%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
11.1%
on SNAP
107K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

32.0% of Eau Claire County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

12
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
6.4%
households, no vehicle
11.8%
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 Eau Claire County's low-access share at 32.0%, above the national share. 12 of the county's 20 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 31,626 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,487 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 Eau Claire County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Eau Claire County's 32.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #813 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Eau Claire County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 20 census tracts in Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 9 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 20 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (40.0%) 9 tracts limited (45.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (15.0%) Adequate 40% Limited 45% Severe 15% Food-access tier distribution: Eau Claire County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts20
Atlas Population (2010 basis)98,736
Low-Access Tracts12
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population31,626
Low-Access Share32.0%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,487

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Eau Claire County
IndicatorValue
Population107,116
Median Household Income$74,546
Poverty Rate11.8%below the national average
SNAP Households4,962
SNAP Participation Rate11.1%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Eau Claire County 11.1%

About 11.1% of Eau Claire County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,962 households here.
  • 6.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 tracts 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 Eau Claire County

above the national share

3 of Eau Claire County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.0% of all its tracts.

A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.

An estimated 31,626 residents, roughly 32.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 7,487 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Eau Claire County

Eau Claire County has 72 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 38 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 38

  • avon wi llc, fall creek
  • birch street sunoco, eau claire
  • bmsl, eau claire
  • casey's 3851, altoona
  • casey's 3874, eau claire
  • chohan, eau claire
  • circle k 2746575, eau claire
  • circle k 2746576, eau claire
  • circle k 2746577, eau claire
  • circle k 2746578, eau claire
  • circle k 2746593, eau claire
  • circle k 2746597, eau claire
  • circle k 2746600, eau claire
  • express lane 9514, eau claire
  • falls marketplace, fall creek
  • hmong tkb oriental market llc, eau claire
  • hy-vee fast & fresh express 5166, eau claire
  • j p h llc, eau claire
  • j's circle c 2, eau claire
  • jn food mart 1, eau claire
  • k j m mart llc, altoona
  • kwik trip 389, eau claire
  • kwik trip 390, eau claire
  • kwik trip 398, eau claire
  • kwik trip 459, eau claire
  • kwik trip 472, eau claire
  • kwik trip 828, altoona
  • kwik trip 1110, eau claire
  • kwik trip 1128, altoona
  • kwik trip 1149, eau claire
  • kwik trip 1162, eau claire
  • kwik trip 201, eau claire
  • kwik trip 208, altoona
  • kwik trip 210, eau claire
  • kwik trip 573, eau claire
  • kwik trip 633, eau claire
  • pops 202, chippewa falls
  • stop-n-go 813, eau claire

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs 10550, eau claire
  • dollar general 9836, eau claire
  • dollar general 15733, eau claire
  • dollar general 21048, eau claire
  • dollar general 24742, fairchild
  • dollar tree 3571, eau claire
  • dollar tree 5297, eau claire
  • dollart tree 4842, eau claire
  • family dollar 11104, augusta
  • family dollar store 10880, eau claire
  • walgreens 03497, eau claire
  • walgreens 01937, eau claire
  • weavers country store, fall creek

Super Store · 9

  • costco wholesale 1664, eau claire
  • festival foods 11, eau claire
  • festival foods 40, eau claire
  • festival foods 41, eau claire
  • hy-vee 1166, eau claire
  • sam's club 8185, eau claire
  • target store 1774, eau claire
  • walmart 1669, eau claire
  • woodman's food market 41, altoona

Medium Grocery Store · 4

  • amerasian food plus, eau claire
  • hmongstop store, eau claire
  • la luna minjares inc, eau claire
  • lance's fresh market, augusta

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphy's eau claire wi003, eau claire
  • papa murphy's eau claire wi126, eau claire

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • jacobsons market 2, eau claire
  • rump's butchers shoppe, altoona

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 72053, eau claire
  • menomonie market food co-op - eau claire rs2, eau claire

Farmers' Market · 1

  • eau claire downtown farmer's market, eau claire

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • ifd warehouse store, eau claire

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 Eau Claire County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire County has low food access? ▼
32.0% of residents in Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire County? ▼
11.1% of households in Eau Claire County receive SNAP, covering 4,962 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Eau Claire County? ▼
The poverty rate in Eau Claire County, WI is 11.8%, with a median household income of $74,546 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Eau Claire County a food desert? ▼
3 of Eau Claire County's 20 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 Eau Claire County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.4% of households in Eau Claire 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.