Signature · 7.4% SNAP (6th pct in MI)
Emmet County, MI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Emmet 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).
- 23.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Emmet County, MI
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 23.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.5 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 13% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Presque Isle County ( -0.4 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Emmet County ranks #1,388 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #30 of 80 counties in MI (23.6% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,388
- national by low-access %
- #30
- in MI
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 7.4% SNAP (6th pct in MI) (-4.7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Emmet County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Emmet County's 23.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,388 most-affected nationwide.
Emmet County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Emmet County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Emmet County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Berrien
Berrien 25.2%
25.2 % low-access
- Wexford
Wexford 24.8%
24.8 % low-access
- Emmet
Emmet 23.6%
23.6 % low-access
- Presque Isle
Presque Isle 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Mecosta
Mecosta 22.9%
22.9 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,694 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,721 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.6%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,066 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,125 |
| Median Household Income | $78,112 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,118 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in Emmet County
Emmet County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (29% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 34 authorized stores; Petoskey holds 65% of them. 2 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Alanson, Carp Lake.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Petoskey | 22 | 8 |
| Pellston | 4 | 1 |
| Alanson | 3 | none |
| Harbor Springs | 3 | 1 |
| Carp Lake | 1 | none |
| Mackinaw City | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 10
- alanson e-z mart 220, alanson
- bill and carol's inc, petoskey
- carp lake general store, carp lake
- j&h family stores - petoskey 175, petoskey
- louie's fresh market alanson 650, alanson
- meijer gas station 257, petoskey
- next door food strore 5027, petoskey
- petoskey ez mart 748, petoskey
- the party shoppe on pickerel lake, petoskey
- tom and dick's, petoskey
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 12605, alanson
- dollar general 20009, pellston
- dollar general 9006, petoskey
- dollar tree 954, petoskey
- family dollar store 6800, harbor springs
- family dollar store 7440, pellston
- plath's meats 2, petoskey
- walgreens 05481, petoskey
- walgreens 12534, petoskey
Super Store · 4
- d&w fresh market 1525, petoskey
- meijer 257, petoskey
- olesons food store 609, petoskey
- walmart supercenter 2417, petoskey
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 14, petoskey
- gordon food service store mp085, petoskey
- grain train natural foods co-op, petoskey
- louie's fresh market petoskey 654, petoskey
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- harbor springs market, harbor springs
- mackinaw iga, mackinaw city
- pellston general store llc, pellston
Farmers' Market · 2
- downtown petoskey farmers market, petoskey
- harbor springs farmers market, harbor springs
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- bill's farm market, petoskey
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- jureks meats & grocery, pellston
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 Emmet County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Nationwide peers for Emmet County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Emmet County (7.4%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Michigan.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (23.6% here).
- St. James Parish, LA · 23.6% low-access
- Rensselaer County, NY · 23.6% low-access
- Pender County, NC · 23.6% low-access
- White County, AR · 23.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (7.4% here).
- Carlton County, MN · 7.4% SNAP
- Le Sueur County, MN · 7.4% SNAP
- Montgomery County, MD · 7.4% SNAP
- Harford County, MD · 7.4% 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.
Michigan among East North Central states
Michigan ranks 3rd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (23.2%). Emmet County, at 23.6%, runs 0.4 pts above the Michigan rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Emmet County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26047. 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.